Harry Potter and A Flower
by potterheadcharles
Summary: AU Year 4. Left alone to his devices, Harry is thrust into a tournament where he is absolutely outclassed. Enter Fleur Delacour, a lazy prodigious Veela who is bored. They meet and sparks fly. Dangerous opponents, seriously dangerous creatures and his rotten luck. How will Harry survive this one? And Fleur never told him what her father does for a job...
1. The Champion

**DISC: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling. May I someday earn enough wealth to buy the rights of the character from her! Then everyone will write my name in the disclaimers...I have the right to dream.**

_**AN: OK folks. I was just itching to write something and nothing too awesome popped up in my mind. So I am writing this. Hopefully, this will get somewhere...if not, you are already reading this for free.**_

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**Ch 1 : The Champion**

"Harry Potter"

As Harry sat there in stunned silence, well aware that every head in the Great Hall had turned towards him, he contemplated the idea of the foulest sins, the most inhuman deeds, he must have performed in his past lives to get this one as a chance to repent.

For once, he had allowed himself the fantasy of a normal school year. No trolls, no basilisks and no dementors. No possessed teachers, no obliviators and no werewolves. Plus, a friendly competition where he was _not_ allowed to enter. He could live as a spectator. For once, he could enjoy watching others fighting for their lives. He was relaxed. He was happy. He was at peace.

But noooooo…

As usual, someone had it in for him. He just shouldn't have expected anything better.

And there. The bees started buzzing. The hall filled with murmers. By the time he would reach his dorms tonight, he would be hailed as worse than Voldemort.

Voldemort. That pig…he had his footprints all over this. That dream…

He just knew that if he were to invest in being a seer now, he could earn a fortune for the following year. Just looking at Ron's red face confirmed his hypothesis. This was going to be a long year. He would be shunned, ridiculed and Merlin knew what, just like two years prior. Just that, this time he would consider himself lucky to be alive at the end of it as well.

"Harry Potter. Up here, if you please!" Dumbledore called again.

Hermione gave him a slight push, "Go on."

Harry refused to budge.

"Harry…" called Dumbledore yet again.

"I did not put my name in, Headmaster." said Harry.

Dumbledore looked at him evenly without a trace of his usual twinkle in his eyes. "Nevertheless, please join us in the chamber Harry." And with that, Dumbledore moved through the door which led towards the room where the other three champions were waiting for further instructions.

Once again, all eyes landed on Harry to see his next move. Hogwarts population always loved drama. For the past four years, Harry Potter was their source of regular entertainment. This time, it was no different either.

When Harry didn't move for a minute, Hermione gave him a slight push from behind and whispered, "Go on."

"Fuck. I am not going anywhere."

With another push, he heard her say, "Go and don't insult Hogwarts anymore than you already did."

Harry closed his eyes. If Hermione did not understand him, no one would…

He finally got up and dragged himself off towards the Head Table. The quiet murmurs grew louder with every step he took.

"He's a cheat-"

"Potter, the Rotter-"

"I always knew he was dark-"

"Oh, he wouldn't live this time-"

"Glory Hound-"

Harry never let his head down even once, and moved with a grim determination on his face. He went out through the door and found himself in a smaller room, filled with paintings of witches and wizards. The three champions were lined up against the fireplace, with Maxime beside Delacour and Karkaroff beside Krum. Dumbledore, Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman were standing in the centre of the room, now facing Harry.

Snape, Moody and McGonagall were off to a side.

No one said a word as he entered. Harry knew the drill. He had thought through his options on the short walk up to the devil's cave. He wouldn't let them intimidate him, _that_ was given.

He looked around and spotted a nice chair beside Fleur Delacour, sitting uselessly in front of the merry fire. He moved forward towards the Half Veela and said, "Could you please move aside?"

"Quoi?" asked Fleur.

"Move aside." repeated Harry.

"Pourquoi?"

Harry sighed and grabbed her waist. Her eyes widened as he pulled her close and lifted her up. Everyone watched in stunned silence as he turned around once and slowly lowered her on the ground. He gave her a smile and turned once again. And promptly sat on the chair.

At once, all activity resumed.

"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr? What does zis boy zhink of himself?" roared Madam Maxime.

Harry noticed that Fleur was still looking at him blankly.

"Harry, you should apologize to Ms. Delacour." said Dumbledore.

Harry gave a yawn and stretched himself. "Why…I just wanted this chair. Comfortable here, really."

"Harry…very well, did you put your name in the goblet?" asked the Headmaster.

Harry had always had a problem with authority figures. They never did their duties as far as he had seen in his short life. But…he had always respected Albus Dumbledore. Suddenly, all that respect evaporated out of him. Dumbledore was just an old man now.

"I recall saying something not five minutes ago Headmaster. And I also recall you acknowledging that you heard me."

"Still Harry, it is important that we know the truth. Did you ask an older student to put your name in the goblet for you?"

Harry blinked.

"Are you saying that the goblet would accept anybody's name as long as the one who puts it is above seventeen?" asked Harry.

"Err…" said the Headmaster, "Yes."

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BLOODY MIND?" shouted Harry.

Fleur jumped and seemingly, finally came out of her trance. Dumbledore flinched. All other teachers had their eyes widened.

"Mr. Potter, mind your manners." shrieked McGonagall.

"I WON'T." shouted Harry, making Fleur jump once again.

"Dumbledore, I never thought your students treated you like this nowadays." said Karkaroff.

"Never mind Igor. Harry, calm down. Take deep breaths, my boy."

"DON'T…" Harry decided to take this one advice and took some really deep breaths. "You said you had the goblet under your protection."

"I had. But it seems it wasn't enough."

"No, I don't think it was." said Harry bitterly.

"Look at the brat." came a much hated voice. "And to think, we were considering he hadn't put his name…"

"Well, well, Snivellus, I never expected you would consider something in my defence."

Snape's face reddened. "You dare-"

"What? I thought it was your nickname."

"Potter, one more word-"

"Enough!" ordered Dumbledore. "Harry, please don't insult your teachers. Severus, calm down. We are getting out of track."

"What track, Albus?" asked Karkaroff. "That boy put his name in the goblet."

"He did not, Igor. He said it himself."

"Ah, but of course 'e is lying." cried Madam Maxime.

"He is not." said McGonagall. "Someone else did it. Someone must have confunded the Goblet for it to choose four champions instead of three. And that's well beyond what is taught to fourth years."

"I agree with the old witch." said Moody from the shadows. "Somebody wishes harm to the boy."

"And who, may I ask, would want a boy dead?" asked Karkaroff.

An extremely tense silence followed this question as all eyes turned towards the Durmstrang Headmaster. Then Moody said, "I never used the word 'dead' specifically."

"What else did you mean, you one legged psycho?" asked Karkaroff, glaring holes at Moody. "Did you mean maimed, just like you?"

"You got out easy, eh, did you?" asked Moody taking a step threateningly.

"Alastor. Igor. Enough." warned Dumbledore and sighed. "Mr. Crouch. Mr. Bagman. What shall we do now?"

"The boy must compete. There's no other way."

"I won't." said Harry.

"You don't have a choice boy. You will lose your magic otherwise." said Crouch.

"Or I'll lose my life. The choice is simple."

"Harry…you cannot be serious." said Dumbledore with wide eyes.

"I am." said Harry, looking him in the eye.

"It is not so simple, my boy. Magic in a wizard flows alongside his life force." said Dumbledore. "That's what makes us different from squibs. They have magic as well. But it does not flow like ours. They can live without it. We can't."

Harry truly was fed up with this discussion. He really was glad that he had chosen to sit first, otherwise he didn't know what he would have done. "You mean I will die…?"

"No. But it could be worse. You might be paralyzed for life. You may end up locked in your own mind. Muggles call it coma."

Harry rubbed his forehead and gritted his teeth. "All right." He said eventually. "I'll do it. But I am out of this craziness next year."

"What do you mean, Harry?" asked Dumbledore.

"I mean, Headmaster, consider this my last year as a student of Hogwarts irrespective of the fact if I die in this effing tournament or not."

Dumbledore sighed heavily. "We'll discuss this later Harry. For now, let's move on."

Harry gave a particularly peculiar expression, nodded once and crossed his hands across his chest.

"Now, as we have our four champions-"

"Ah, very covenient. Two champions for 'ogwarts after all this nonsense." said Maxime.

"My dear Madam Maxime, if you have any other alternative-"

"My dear Dumbly-dorr" said Maxime in an uncharacteristically sweet voice, "I 'ave. We want an extra champion as well."

"But that's not possible. The Goblet cannot be lit before the start of next tournament." said Dumbledore.

"Does not matter." said Karkaroff. "Let us choose two of our students. They shall compete alongside the other four. If they win…they win."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and considered the suggestion. "Is it possible, Ludo?"

"Well, certainly Albus. The Goblet isn't stopping us from adding extra competition. We'll draw another contract for them."

Dumbledore nodded. "All right, then. Call upon your students."

Harry snorted.

In short order, two new 'champions' were brought into the Chamber of Champions. From the French side was a girl named Nicole Moreau. She was a short sweet looking girl, the type one could easily underestimate. She was pretty, not beautiful as in Fleur Delacour, but pretty nonetheless.

From the nation wherever Durmstrang resided, was a man. Harry could not fathom that he was just a school boy. He was atleast six foot six. Broad chest, with a mean look and long hair. He was just the opposite of the French chick. You just could not ignore this guy. His name was Vlad Dumrov.

"So now, as we have our six champions, unexpected really, but a fine opportunity indeed" began Bagman, "the first task will be held on the twenty fourth of November. Most probably."

Everyone in the room looked at Bagman as if he were crazy. And he probably was.

"Er…you see, we will have to take these new developments into account and make some new plans accordingly. Rest assured, the first task will test your courage in the face of the unknown and hence, it will remain a surprise." he finished opening up his arms in a grand gesture.

"That's it for now, I guess?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes. Of course." agreed Bagman.

"Wait!" Harry interrupted.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?" asked Crouch.

"I want the copy of my contract." he said.

"What contract?" asked Bagman.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Oh, that. But that contract remains with Goblet, Harry. It cannot be produced in physical form."

Harry almost growled in annoyance and left with a huff.

The others stared after him and one witch in particular wondered, _If only he was a little older…_

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_Reviews Please!_


	2. A Spat with Snape

AN: Thank for your support everyone.

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**Ch 2: A Spat with Snape**

Harry yet again turned to his side and gave away a frustrated sigh. He ran his hands through his hair once more and finally opened his eyes. It seemed sleep had excused him today. He sat up and glared at the sleeping form of Ron Weasley.

He just couldn't understand the boy in front of him. Sometimes, he was the best friend anyone could ask for in a lifetime and other times, the times when his jealousy would rear his head, he was an asshole. Harry wondered how long would it be before Ron gained himself a solid punch to the mouth, in a manner that would make it difficult for even Madam Pomfrey to reattach or regrow his teeth.

It wasn't Ron's fault really. Harry still remembered what Ron had seen in the Mirror of Erised back in the first year. He had dreamed of being recognized from the start. And it must be really tiring to be in the shadow of the famous Harry Potter all the while. Being seen as a sidekick…but it wasn't Harry's fault either.

It wasn't anyone's fault. Except his stars.

Harry swore he would get back at that particular deity, God or any damn incarnation who had the brilliant idea of using black ink while writing his luck.

And Hermione…he had expected better from her.

He threw aside his covers and got off the bed. Taking no particular care of being quiet so as not to disturb others, he grumpily walked towards his trunk and took out a parchment and some ink and a quill.

He went back to his bed and thought of Hedwig. Being his familiar, she knew when he needed her. Intelligence wise, Hedwig was way better than Ron. She would be here in a minute to carry his letter, he knew.

He found his wand and after a _"Lumos"_ put its one end in his mouth. He then began to write.

_Dear Sirus,_

_Someone fucked me up. Need urgent help. Reply soon._

_Harry._

_P.S. You'll know the details from the newspaper. I am sending a bag of galleons with Hedwig as well._

Harry did not know where and in what pathetic condition his godfather was. So he did what he could to help him. From time to time, he would send a small bag of galleons to him, which would hopefully make his life easier.

Hedwig came in soon and he gave her an owl treat. She affectionately rubbed his cheek against her and he smiled. "Only you for me now, right girl."

She hooted once and Harry laughed.

Tying the letter and the pouch to her talons, Harry gave her a pat and she was soon flying towards his godfather.

He lay down in his sheets once more and thought of the things tomorrow would bring. He knew he was alone. And he wasn't ashamed to admit that he was afraid. Very afraid.

**~X~X~X~X~**

As the bright sunlight entered the most furnished room of the largest carriage currently parked in Britain, a witch groaned and pulled the covers over her head.

A half an hour later, repeated loud knocks on the door finally got her up from her slumber. She gave a huge yawn and slowly got up to her feet, stretching herself in the process. The knocks on the door seized as the person outside realized that she was up.

Fleur made her way to the attached bathroom and painstakingly got herself ready. She absolutely detested waking up in the mornings. In her honest opinions, one should not be disturbed and should not disturb others until noon, at the least. What was life's worth if you couldn't even sleep depending on your moods?

Taking a certain amount of time in the special bath only she had the privilege of, she decided to relax a little more. It wasn't long before she abruptly woke up a second time when the water level rose above her nose. Taking a few deep breaths, she got out of the tub and dried herself off.

Fleur loved getting dressed up in different clothes. But again, she was sometimes glad that someone deemed it fit to involve the concept of uniforms for school students. Otherwise, it would be such a huge chore to choose from so many…

Hogwarts was cold. She debated on the choice of scarfs and whether to actually wear one or not for a couple of minutes. In the end, she decided it was better not to hide her beauty too much.

Being a Veela suited her just fine. No need for make up. She was certainly gorgeous enough as it was. She smirked at her reflection and gave herself a quick once over.

_Lovely…_

Turning her haughty nose up, she made her way to Madam Maxime. It wasn't as if she needed to _learn_ anything. She was a natural at magic. She wondered why she graced Beauxbatons with herself.

Yes, her maman_._

She shook her head in a vain attempt to clear her head. She couldn't afford to be home sick now. She would have to stop and clean up on her way otherwise.

She found Madam Maxime standing near the doors of the carriage. She noticed the sigh of relief her Headmistress exhaled when she saw her.

"Why do you insist on waking me up so soon, Maxi?" she asked the half-giantess.

Madam Maxime gave her a dirty look, which only Fleur among the students had the permission to witness on her face. And Fleur laughed.

She had a very informal relationship with the headmistress. Nothing like a student and teacher, but more like friends. It came from the facts that Fleur was a prodigy and she herself knew it, plus her family.

"It is not so soon. The others are already finished with their breakfasts in the Great Hall."

"Is that so? Why were you waiting for me then?" asked Fleur as she opened the carriage door and jumped outside.

"Slow, girl." huffed Madam Maxime. "In an hour, we have the Wand Weighing Ceremony."

"What is that?"

"Nothing. A local wandmaker will check your wands. A reporter and a photographer would try to irritate you, that's it."

Fleur sighed. "Really, why did you insist on me taking part in this silly competition? It is so much work."

"Because only you can win me that trophy."

"What about that potato?" she asked.

"She is a sweet girl. Don't call her that."

"She's too sweet for my tastes. And you didn't answer me."

"Well, she is a back up."

They finally reached the Great Hall and Fleur sat down to eat. It seemed the classes had already started as none of her school mates could be seen. Madam Maxime too sat near her.

"You should sit at the Head Table." said Fleur, munching on something the English ate.

"No one is here to see me. Don't worry. Eat."

Soon enough, they were heading out the large doors towards the room where the ceremony would be held. On their way, they found Bagman as he was grabbing a random boy who seemed like a firstie. Both the French women stopped to look what was going on.

"You, boy. What's your name?" Bagman asked.

"Co-Collin Creevey, sir." The boy answered while stuttering a little. Fleur noticed that he had a camera around his neck.

"Yes. Colin." said Bagman in his usual cheer. "Go and fetch Harry from the Potions classroom."

Fleur's eyes lit up at the mention of Harry Potter. She had seen the boy yesterday and she must admit that she was impressed. He was an angry young lad.

Fleur didn't know him enough to know if he was faking it or he really hadn't put his name in the goblet but she leaned towards the latter. He'd have to be a really great actor otherwise.

"H-Harry from Professor S-S-Snape's Classroom?" Colin asked fearfully. He seemed to be sweating a little.

Bagman, ignoring how uncomfortable the boy looked, nodded enthusiastically.

"But- but-"

As Bagman started pushing him in the direction of the classrooms, Fleur interrupted.

"Mr Bagman! I weel go with 'im." she said.

With a wink at Madam Maxime, she took Colin's hand and dragged him with her.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Harry was busy cutting and peeling off the ingredients in a hope to fish out a potion that would actually work as an antidote for once.

Seeing Snape's mood and his occasional smirk aimed right at him whenever someone blew up a cauldron, Harry knew he was going to be a test subject at the end of today's class.

Snape had finally snapped. The mad potions master was going to poison him at last…another one of Harry's nightmares were about to be realized.

_Oh Merlin…this man cannot wait for the tournament to end, he wants to finish me now itself. Oh my freaking God…_

Harry cursed as the potion took a light pink color instead of the required dark green. He fumbled with the knobs of the fire to adjust the temperature or something, but the damn thing was too bloody stubborn.

_I'm gone._

He considered taking his potion off the fire and pouring the entire contents on the head of the greasy bastard-

And a knock was heard in the classroom.

Snape grunted a "Come in" and Fleur Delacour came inside. Half of the boys had their eyes dilated and the other half were drooling.

Harry continued to work on his potion. Life was more important than a girl.

"I am 'ere to take Harry for tournament business." she said to the bat like professor.

And Harry looked up. He could kiss the girl at that moment.

"Mr. Potter has not finished his potion. He will come when the class is over." said Snape.

"Really? You don't 'ave the authority to decide that." said Fleur.

Snape glared at her. "I have all the authority in my class."

Fleur raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "You really are a _cochon_, aren't you?"

Pin-drop silence.

Now, Harry wasn't a master at French. He had no idea how but he somehow knew that word. That made him laugh. All the others who knew this much gasped.

Snape was intelligent enough to understand when he was being insulted.

Although he too was affected by the allure the girl was projecting in abundance, one of his eyes twitched and he asked in a dangerously calm voice, "What did you say?"

Fleur smiled sweetly. "Do not worry Professor. It eez a sweet creature belonging to the genus sus within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. 'ighly social in nature."

Before Snape could understand or answer, she turned towards Harry and said in a flat tone. "I do not 'ave all day to spare for _cochons_. 'arry Potter, come with me."

With that, Fleur turned and moved out the door. Harry was fast enough to pack all his belongings and run before the door could close all the way. He had to continuously remind himself not to make eye contact with Snape before closing the door behind him.

Fleur was standing at a side as he turned.

He met her eyes and she smirked.

Before long, they were both howling with laughter.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Inside the classroom, Malfoy raised his hand slowly. When Snape failed to take any notice, he said, "Professor...?"

Snape still was quite lost in his thoughts and failed to respond, so Malfoy said a little loudly. "Professor...?"

"Professor?" he said a third a time.

"WHAT?" shouted Snape.

"I know what the word meant." said Draco hurriedly.

"WHAT?" Snape shouted again.

"Swine"

"DETENTION."

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Review please. :)


	3. The Weighing of Wands

**Thank you everyone for your support. Keep it up.**

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**Ch 3: Weighing of the Wands**

For a while, they both walked in silence towards the room where the other champions were waiting for them. Hogwarts seemed quiet during the classes as compared to the absolute ruckus students pulled in between, moving between one classroom to another. Harry decided to fill in the silence a bit and asked finally, "So, why did you do that?"

Fleur chuckled, "Your friend, Mr. Creevey, showed me to the classroom. 'e was too scared of that Professor. When I asked 'im, 'e told me 'ow the man terrorizes the students. I decided to 'ave some fun."

"You know, you could be in trouble when someone tells him that you called him a pig." said Harry.

Fleur shrugged carelessly. "Nah. Madam Maxime will not give me any punishment."

Harry raised an eyebrow but decided to remain silent. Fleur looked at him and asked, "So, was it all acting or did you really not put your name in the goblet?"

Harry's jaw immediately hardened. "I wasn't lying."

"Do not worry and please don't be angry on me, 'arry; I can call you 'arry, right?" she asked sweetly.

Harry nodded once.

"Thank you. You can call me Fleur as well. Hmmm…where was I? Oui. No need to be angry on me. I believe you."

Harry looked at her and tried to gauge her sincerity. "Really? Why?"

Fleur nodded. "You are not skilled enough to pull the feat!"

At Harry's look of affront, she laughed. She mussed his hair playfully once and remarked, "Just a leetle boy."

Harry did not know how to react to that, so he remained quiet.

**~X~X~X~X~**

As they entered a fairly small classroom; desks and chairs were vanished leaving a large empty space in the middle; Bagman noticed them and bounced forward clapping his hands enthusiastically.

"Ah, we have our youngest champion. Come Harry, come."

Harry was starting to dislike his over-cheerfulness.

He noticed the two Durmstrang champions standing off to a side, glaring at the surroundings in general. Cedric was busy in discussion with the other Beauxbatons champion. Harry also noticed that Fleur seemed to sniff at her sight. She unexpectedly took his hand and dragged him off to the other side of the room.

Midway though, they were intercepted by an ugly looking lady with a quill in her hands and a photographer by her side. She wore heavy jeweled spectacles, had curiously rigid curls and an entirely sickening smile. Bagman introduced her as Rita Skeeter, from Daily Prophet.

"Harry" she shrilled in a voice that made him very uncomfortable, "I wonder if I could have a little word with you before we start? The youngest champion, you know…it will add a bit of color to the article."

Before Harry could answer, Rita attempted to take his hand and move in the direction of the nearest broom cupboard. Thankfully, Fleur had a tight grip on him.

"What are we 'ere for then, Miss Skiter? I can add better color, no?" she asked in a sweet voice and looked at Harry. "Besides, 'arry is too leetle for the likes of you."

Rita spluttered for a second but the photographer seemed to be enjoying himself, clicking Fleur's shots in a hurry as if she was about to fly somewhere.

"And who might you be, young girl?" asked Rita in clipped tones and an entirely false smile.

"Fleur Delacour, daughter of Adelard and Apolline Delacour." announced Fleur proudly.

For some reason, Rita's eyes widened at her father's name and she gulped. Harry found this highly interesting but before he could raise any questions, Dumbledore came from upstairs somewhere with Mr. Ollivander in tow.

"Ah, we have all the champions with us here. Good to see you as well Rita. Now, Mr. Ollivander will call you one by one and check your wands for any defects. Xander?" he gestured to the old wand maker.

"Yes. Thank you Albus. Miss Delacour, if you please…?"

Fleur moved forward and handed him her wand.

"Hmmm…" he said twirling it in his long fingers, sending sparks across the room, "nine and a quarter inches, inflexible, rosewood and dear me…a Veela hair as a core."

Fleur smiled. "My grand mère's."

"Yes. Yes. I have never used Veela hair of course, makes for very temperamental wands you see…but to each his own."

Fleur's smile turned a bit…scary. It seemed she had taken offense. "Yes. It eez a pity English wandmakers are not skilled enough to use more distinct cores and usually end up running after shitting unicorns for zere tail 'air."

Everyone looked at Fleur as if she had gone mental and Harry saw Madam Maxime attempting to hide her grimace.

Nonetheless, after allowing the shock to register on his face for a second, Ollivander chuckled uneasily and gave her wand a wave.

A few more sparks and Fleur's wand was pronounced to be in excellent condition.

Fleur came back with a huff and conjured a chair for herself. Making herself comfortable, she sat down and stretched a bit. Another wave of her wand had a blanket draped over her. She sighed and muttered something in French and then promptly closed her eyes. After a yawn or two, to Harry it seemed she was asleep.

Harry gaped at her.

Meanwhile, Ollivander continued calling the other champions forward.

Somewhere along the way, Harry felt a tap on his bum.

He turned on his left and saw a grinning Cedric Diggory an inch from his face.

"You alright, Harry?" Cedric asked.

"Err…Yeah. Fine." said Harry, moving back a little to create space between the two.

"So…did you put your name in the Goblet?"

Harry was starting to feel a little irritated by the same old question being asked again and again. It wasn't as if he had not answered in front of the whole bloody school.

Still, he sighed and shook his head. "No. I didn't."

"Well, I'm sorry in advance if my housemates give you any trouble. I tried to lay them off you but they seem determined."

"Don't worry. Mine aren't any better either. So it doesn't really matter." said Harry.

Cedric nodded his head uncertainly and they watched as Ollivander gave Vlad Dumrov's wand a wave. "Hmmm…if I am not mistaken, it's one of Gregorovitch's."

"Yezzz." said Vlad in his deep voice.

"I do not generally like his designs. Makes for a restricting core." said Ollivander.

Harry prayed Vlad wasn't as sensitive to insults of his countrymen as Fleur was. It seemed the old wandmaker had a huge superiority complex. Someday, that was sure to get him into trouble.

Thankfully, either the Durmstrang boy was not affected or he wasn't much good in English, so he kept his gob shut. Though, it seemed he was glaring a little. But then again, he was always glaring whenever Harry looked at him. So it probably didn't mean anything.

"Polished your wand recently, Harry?" asked Cedric from his side, wiggling his eyebrows for some reason.

"No. Was I supposed to do it?"

"Well, we should always keep our wands clean." said Cedric but then he grimaced. "Though, I guess it doesn't really matter if you look at what they soak it into after putting it together."

Cedric waited for him to ask. "What?"

"It's a mixture of all humors Harry. Blood, spit, piss and shit."

Harry blanched and looked at his wand, making a face. "Really?"

"Yeah. It's fine as long as you are not in the habit of taking it in your mouth once in a while."

Harry felt as if he was going to be sick right then and there. He kept a hand at his mouth as he fought to keep the bile inside.

_Yuck…and it wasn't even mine._

"Want me to do it for you?" asked Cedric with a wink.

"What?" asked Harry without taking his hand off his mouth.

"Polish your wand."

Swallowing once, he shook his head and quickly moved towards Ollivander. "My wand next"

He looked at him for a moment and then shrugged. "As you wish, Mr Potter."

Harry tried to keep the grimace from his features.

**~X~X~X~X~**

After the wand weighing ceremony, Bagman called everyone for a photoshoot. It took a little time for Madam Maxime to wake Fleur up. She kept telling her off.

Harry thought the headmistress would be incredibly angry when Fleur finally woke up. But it seemed Maxime was used to her antics. "Maxi…"

'Maxi' just sighed and waved her wand to make Fleur's hair back to how it was before she went to sleep on a chair.

Harry noticed that Nicole, the other girl, was incessantly glaring a hole into Fleur's head. It seemed the two were bitter rivals from Beauxbatons. Harry could tell as it was incredibly similar to the looks Malfoy gave him sometimes.

When Fleur was ready, the photographer called for individual shots.

Harry gritted his teeth. Why the hell were they waiting for so long if they were to take individual shots first?

It was Harry's turn first. And he hated it.

Not once did he followed the instructions he were being given regarding his facial expressions. He firmly kept attached a scowl that could give the two Bulgarians a run for their money.

Afterwords, all the six champions were shot together. Since he was the smallest and Fleur was a girl and the photographer liked her better, they both were made to sit together. With the others standing behind.

Then it was the Headmasters with their couple champions.

Then the three Heads together.

Then Bagman with each of the three Heads.

Then Bagman and _all_ the three Heads.

Then someone remembered that Ollivander was present as well, standing in a corner, waiting for someone to remember that _he_ was the wand expert and it _was_ the Weighing of the Wands.

So, then it was Ollivander and the three Heads.

Ollivander and Bagman.

Ollivander and Bagman and the three heads.

Ollivander and the Champions. Fleur was sleeping again by then and again 'Maxi' had to wake her up.

Just when Harry was about to punch the photographer, he called for the final shot.

It was a group photograph with the headmasters and Bagman present as well. This time, Madam Maxime was made to sit between Harry and Fleur.

Harry was amazed to see that her head was clearly still a couple feet above his. The photographer was amazed to see this as well.

He kept backing up so that he could somehow take her in the frame but it was getting difficult. Though he persevered, and somehow, it was finally over.

And Harry ran!

He just did not want to take any shit from the reporter now as well.

**~X~X~X~X~**

He was just about to reach the gates of the Great Hall when he heard his name being called in a peculiar way.

"'ARRY"

He turned around and watched as Fleur came to a stop just before him, taking huge heaves of air. It seemed she was running behind him as well. He could see a thin sheen of sweat forming on her forehead. He had to admit that she was a little too beautiful and it was all too well that he wasn't affected by her allure as much as other boys.

He _was_ affected but just not that much!

"_Hoof! Hoof!_" wheezed Fleur "You…run too…fast."

She conjured another chair and promptly sat down.

Harry looked around and saw that others were noticing them out of the corner of their eyes and some were outright staring at her.

"Why were you running behind me?" he asked, keeping his voice. "And why are you sitting at the gates of the Hall? Come inside if you have to sit."

"Non. Non." she said. "I waz just tired of running. Zat's all."

"But why?"

"Will you show me the library please?"

Harry looked at her as if she had grown another head.

"Library?"

"Yes. Show me, please."

With that, she got up, took his hand and dragged him in some direction.

**~X~X~X~X~**

As they entered the library and Harry looked at the huge shelves filled with thousands and thousands of books, he could not help but wonder the reason he hadn't spent more than a few hours in here.

It would have certainly helped him in this time of trauma!

Fleur somehow understood the arrangement of the library just by a look and took him to some unknown section down and further down the shelves.

"What are we doing here, Fleur?" he asked.

"Just wait 'arry." she said. She seemed to be looking for something specific.

"Aha!" she cheered as she apparently found what she was looking for. "You sit zere." she said pointing to a nearby table.

Harry did as she told and waited for her to reappear.

She did, after five minutes, with a handful of books and dumped them in front of him. The she pulled out a seat across from him and sat down with a sigh of comfort. "My legs, killing me…"

Harry looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What is this…?" He said pointing to the books.

He took out one and read the title.

_Deaths in Triwizard.._

Next one read _Monsters of Triwizard_.

Another one read _When no one remained to play_.

"Hem. Hem." Fleur cleared her throat.

"What, are you trying to scare me?" he asked her.

Fleur shook her head. "You are already plenty scared. I can see it in your face."

Harry turned red and spluttered. "What…?"

"I am just showing you that you will die."

_Die. Die. Die._

_Die._

* * *

_Review please...:)_


	4. A Sirius Confrontation

**Thank you for your support. Keep it up. :)**

* * *

**Ch 4: A Sirius Confrontation**

It was after midnight when Harry Potter suddenly sat up in his bed and took huge gulps of air to satisfy his burning lungs. He was completely drenched in sweat and his entire body was cold. Goose bumps were raised on his skin as he tried to control the shivering and rubbed his palms together.

For once, it had been a normal nightmare. If you could even call it that. But yes, it wasn't a vision. He was sure of that. It was much much creepier.

In the nightmare, he was fighting with a horde of ugly creatures, birds really, the most awful looking birds. They had super human strength as they threw whatever they could get their hands on at him, including rocks, cars, tanks, helicopters, and innocent bystanders. Along with big black balls of fire. He himself had a peculiar sword in one hand and a wand in another. He tried whatever he could but he knew he couldn't push them forever. He was tired. Hungry. He knew he would lose. And then they would eat him. Probably when he was still a little alive.

Then, out of nowhere, a huge dragon roared its head and fried the birds. Only to come after Harry himself. He ran like hell and threw all kinds of spells at the seemingly angry dragon. But nothing worked. Just as he realized that the wand in his hand wasn't actually a wand but a carrot, the ground below him shook and he fell in an endless abyss. He screamed and screamed and screamed.

And then he saw a face. A horrible grotesque face with no nose and mouth, instead thin slits on their place. It had red eyes and pale skin and an expression of utter rage. A green light filled his vision and then he was drowning. Black mucky water filled his lungs and darkness became his world when something grasped his neck. He tried to pull the creature away but it was a loosing battle. He kicked and pushed but it just wouldn't work. He could no longer breathe. He felt a blunt instrument connect with his head and blood pouring.

He was sure he was going to die.

But then, somewhere from above Lightning struck.

And he was awake.

_Shewwww…_Harry exhaled his breath as he wiped the sweat off his forehead…_Weird dream._

He looked around himself and noticed with a sigh of relief that his dorm mates were still fast asleep. No one had woken up.

The sound of fluttering wings made him look towards the windows and he saw his beloved Hedwig perched on the ledge, looking at him with an angry expression.

_Oops. Maybe that's what woke me up._

He quickly got up and undid the knob on the window to allow the entrance to his owl. Hedwig quickly flew inside and perched herself on his bedside table. He went over to her and took the package she had for him.

"All right, girl?" he asked her.

She hooted once sullenly and went to sleep.

Harry sighed and opened the package. It oddly contained a small mirror along with a short note.

_Just say my name in front of the mirror_.

"Sirius Black"

As soon as the words left his mouth, his own reflection in the mirror was replaced by the image of a wooden roof. Harry understood what the mirror really was and not for the first time, marveled at the sheer power of magic. It was a pity that the wizards were so interested in pointless things rather than use such a great gift for some great purpose.

Harry had to wait five minutes before Sirius's face finally appeared in the small mirror.

"Harryyyy…" he greeted him with a shout.

Harry winced and quickly looked out for his wand. Throwing up a silencing charm around himself, he pulled the curtains closed around the bed. Hopefully, Sirius hadn't woken up anyone.

"Sirius" he finally said to his Godfather and grinned. "How are the vacations?"

"Absolutely fantastic. It wouldn't have been much without the galleons you keep sending me."

"No problem. I did not like the idea of you eating any more rats."

Sirius grimaced.

Harry noted that Sirius looked rather healthy compared to the haggard broken form he had seen at the end of last year. He had shaved and seemed to be having regular baths. He didn't look dirty and grimy anymore.

"Yeah. I too realized that not all rats are Peter."

Harry chuckled.

"So, what's this about you needing urgent help?" asked Sirius.

"Didn't you read the newspaper?"

"Oh, I did. Still, they don't print everything. Tell me exactly what happened."

"That's the point Sirius. I bloody don't know what happened. We were sitting in the Great Hall at Halloween waiting for that thrice damned cup to spout off the names of three champions from these three bloody schools. And lo and behold, a fourth name appears and Dumbledore shouts 'Harry Potter' like I wasn't about to lose my soul just last year along with you." ranted Harry with an angry expression.

"Then?"

"Then what? Everyone keeps asking me whether I put my name or not. I keep saying no. And I have to compete anyways. Otherwise, I'll probably lose my magic and go on a permanent coma or some such shit."

"What did Dumbledore do?" asked Sirius.

"Besides convincing me to participate. Nothing."

"That old man has a plan." muttered Sirius.

"What?" asked Harry furrowing his brows.

"I realized Harry, after so many years in Azkaban, that the key to peace is to learn from your mistakes and the best way to do _that_ is to introspect. So I did. I replayed each and every detail of the last war in my mind. Looking backwards, I can say that Albus Dumbledore, our leader, is a flawed man."

"I don't understand Sirius."

Sirius sighed. "Harry, he is a good man with good intentions. But he has a habit of cooking up convoluted plans, within plans, within plans. And the logic behind these three layered plans can be understood by no one but him. He either doesn't make mistakes or his mistakes eclipse all others. That makes him flawed. "

"So you are saying he knows who put my name in the Goblet?" asked Harry.

"Most probably. But he most definitely has at least a guess. And his guesses are usually correct."

"What should I do?"

Sirius rubbed his forehead. "Live."

Harry made a face. "I am in no hurry to die Sirius. Can you please explain a little bit on _how_ to live?"

"I don't know Harry. I can't help you without entering Hogwarts and you know I can't do that. Damn Fudge."

"What would you do if you could enter Hogwarts?" asked Harry.

Sirius looked at him as if he was particularly daft. "I would train you, of course. I would protect you."

"So I need to find someone who would train me?"

"Yeah, I suppose. You are basically a third year Harry. This year has just started. Fighting against what they throw at you is a feat only few with all seven years of education can pull off. You need to understand that you have to live at the end of the year, not win."

"I do understand. Who should I ask?"

Sirius thought for a bit. "I heard Mad-Eye is teaching you Defence this year."

"He is a teacher. Not allowed."

"Who else is there beside a teacher who could train you?"

Harry bit his nails and exhaled a breath. "There is a girl."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate."

"Well, she is the _chosen_ Beauxbatons champion. Very intelligent, funny and she called Snape a pig today."

Sirius chuckled. "Well that's a plus point. What else?"

"She definitely knows magic. She says she is a prodigy. She practically spits at everyone but me for some reason. And she is extraordinarily lazy."

"Why would she help you? I mean, being a competitor and all that."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. She doesn't seem to care for the competition much either. And she…sort of helped me today."

"How?"

"She said I will die." Harry deadpanned.

Sirius' eyes widened. "What?"

"Yeah. She was direct and to the point. She took me to the library. Brought me some books and asked me to go through them. Each and everyone contained a detailed inspection of how many participants, in what circumstances and by what mistakes, if any, died in the Triwizard Tournament? Did you know that this stupid shitty tournament started in Rome as a means of entertainment by killing off slaves?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Not one tournament has gone by without at least one death. Once, the judges themselves were killed by the remaining runner up in a fit of rage." said Harry.

Sirius sighed. "I didn't know it was that bad. I have an idea as well. Let me check it out."

"And the girl?"

"Any help Harry is Merlin's gift at this point. Any help. Besides, she _is_ a girl."

"So?"

"If she agrees to help you, naturally you will spend time with her. And she's French. All lovely birds in France. Got it?"

Harry nodded. "Where exactly are you?"

Sirius smirked. "France."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing there exactly?"

Sirius laughed. "There is this brilliant Veela colony where I have rented my flat. And then there is this particular beautiful Veela." Sirius sighed. "She is a creature of love Harry, I tell you. I am almost positive that she is Aphrodite reincarnate."

"What's the catch?" asked Harry.

"I don't know. She probably has a husband."

Harry's eyes widened. "What the fuck, Sirius?"

Sirius blanched. "I didn't know that _before_ I fell in love with her."

"That's lust, idiot. Infatuation. Libido. Sex drive. Desire. It has nothing to do with love."

"Hey! Where did you learn those things?" Sirius yelled. "You are fourteen. And talk to me with respect." He added wiggling a finger.

"You cannot seriously be thinking about breaking up a family." said Harry, scandalized.

"Of course not. I just want her to love me a little, that's it. I want to be her cupid. I want to grab her and suck-"

"SHUT UP! That's what I am talking about. You just cannot think like that about a married woman. It's wrong. It's pathetic. It's amoral."

"Everything is fair in love and war, Harry. Remember that." said Sirius. "I thought you'd be happy for me. That I am finally _living_ my life."

"I would have been. If you weren't fantasizing about a married woman. She might have children Sirius. You are better than that. Think about it."

Sirius sighed heavily and Harry had an impression that he had finally listened, until he opened his mouth. "I'll talk to you later Harry. I have to find my Aphrodite. Padfoot signing off."

With a salute, the mirror was showing Harry's own refection again.

"Fucking Fantastic." Harry muttered and went to sleep.

**~X~X~X~X~**

The next morning, Harry waited for Fleur to show up at breakfast. He himself preferred eating in the Kitchens these days, what with the constant murmurs, whispers and sometimes outright glares being shot at him from all the four directions. It wasn't that Harry felt particularly emotional at such times, just that he generally favored the company of elfs who fawned over him better than the ridiculousness of humans.

Plus, he had to be careful not to lose his temper.

After waiting for nearly an hour, Harry decided that Fleur probably wasn't coming and made his way over to the library. Just as he was about to pass the gates of the Great Hall, a hated voice which never failed to grate on his nerves reached him.

"Potter."

There stood, Malfoy and his cronies. Alongside Crabbe and Goyle, Parkinson and to his surprise, a few Hufflepuffs were also standing by his side.

Harry yawned a bit in a bored fashion. "What, Malfoy? I am really not in the mood right now."

"Oh no, Potty. I am here to show you this. My own creation." said Malfoy proudly, pointing towards an ugly badge on his robes. Harry noted that the others also wore the same badge. It read '_Support Diggory – Hogwarts True Champion_'.

Harry rubbed his forehead. When would this dunderhead stop _trying_ to irritate him. If it weren't for the fact that he was so chummy with Parkinson, Harry would have thought that Malfoy was gay and he himself was his object of affections, and these were signs he kept throwing in an order to pursue his crush.

Harry shuddered at the thought. And made a mental note to bath as soon as soon as he was out of here.

Malfoy, oblivious to Harry's thoughts continued, "And see here. It does more."

Harry watched as the writing changed to _Potter Stinks _and he couldn't help but sigh when the group started laughing collectively. It was so…flat.

"Really, that's the best you can do, dear Draco?" asked Harry as if he were instructing a child. "You do know that I am the son of the greatest prankster Hogwarts had ever seen. I am sure your father also told you about my escaped murderer godfather, who I am in frequent contact with. Do you want me to add your name to his list?"

Everyone in the hearing range gasped and Malfoy paled.

Harry came face to face with the annoying bully and smirked. "I am above petty childish concerns, Draco dear. I am thinking of a new policy these days. If I am to die because of this fucking tournament, I shall take as many with me as possible. Do you want to have the honor to be number one on _my_ list, Poncy?"

Draco visibly gulped and it seemed as if he would be the one stinking soon but before he could answer, another much hated voice drawled from behind Harry. "Threatening students now, Potter. Should have expected something like this from you. After all, you are the spawn of your father-"

"My Father was a great man Snivellus who died protecting his son and wife. You don't have any such credit on you, is there?"

"You dare-"

"Snivellus. Snivellus. Snivellus. Or do you like _cochon_ better, you swine?" spat Harry as his features twisted into a hateful mask. He wouldn't take any more insults to his father from this man.

It was a scant second before Snape could utter the incantation of the curse, his wand pointed at Harry's chest, that Harry moved forward and punched him in the nose with all the power he had. Snape went down in a heap.

Before Harry could look around himself and see the widened eyes of his original perpetrators, another voice, a female this time shrieked.

"MR. POTTER-"

"Fuck off."

McGonagall's eyes widened as well and her lips formed into a thin line. "You will apologise to Professor Snape this instant or you are expelled."

Harry took a deep breath to reign in his anger. It was getting really difficult this days. Letting out that same breath, he repeated the process once more. Then he said, "My shoe will apologise to him, Professor McGonagall. I would like to see what you do when I insult your parents. That bastard has been doing that from my very first class in this school. Enough."

"Violence is not the answer-"

"Ha!" scoffed Harry. "He was about to throw a curse at me first."

Snape finally got up from his prone position on the ground, pressing a white hanky to his bloodied nose and glared at Harry with such intensity that Harry was sure he would have died if Snape was capable of wandless magic. "James Potter was a pathetic ugly bul-"

This time Harry did not stop. He punched and punched and punched. He ignored the yellings and exclamations and shouts from the nearby students and teachers for him to stop. He poured his entire frustration of four years on the greasy haired fucker in front of him until his entire body stiffened and he realized McGonagall had petrified him from behind.

"Mr. Malfoy. Take Professor Snape to the Hospital Wing. Now."

A very frightened Draco hurried off with a now significantly more broken and bloodied Snape floating behind him.

Once they were gone, McGonagall dispersed the lurkers and levitated him to her office. Harry saw as the students from the other schools as well as Hogwarts gaped at his form. The news of a student assaulting a professor was seldom heard. Once inside, she lifted her spell. "Are you insane, boy?" she asked with such fury in her voice that anyone in their proper senses would have winced.

That was the point, really. Harry wasn't in his proper sense. He was angry. Very angry. So, he glared at her instead.

"Never in my fifty years at this school, have I seen such reprehensible behavior from a student. The son of Lily Evans no less." she said sharply.

"Don't drag my mother's name into this as well, Professor."

"What will you do otherwise? Punch me as well? Assault me?" Harry looked down and sealed his lips shut. "Look at me when I am talking to you, Potter."

Harry looked up.

"I did not expect this from you. Your parents were Head students. Your mother was the most kind girl I had ever seen. I thought you were like her. But this. Beating up a Professor. Shame on you."

Harry remained silent.

"You will apologise to Professor Snape in front of the entire student body. That will be your punishment."

Harry still remained silent.

"Well, say something." said McGonagall.

"What?" he asked. "I am not sorry for my behavior. I won't apologise to Snape. I won't attend his classes."

"Is that your last decision?" asked McGonagall, fuming.

"Yes."

"Don't attend my classes either then. And detention for the entire year." she ruled.

"Forget it. I won't attend any detention either. If I am being dragged into this thing, I will take as much advantage as I can."

McGonagall scowled. "Fine. Get out. I will talk to the Headmaster."

"Do whatever the hell you want. As I said earlier, this already is my last year here with you all." And Harry walked towards the door.

"Harry…" McGonagall called just as he was about to leave. "I am very disappointed in you."

Harry answered without turning to face her. "And I am disappointed in you, Professor. I don't know if my parents would be proud of me for what I did today or not. But they certainly won't be proud of you seeing you never actually support me when I have to fight for my life in this cursed school year after year." At McGonagall's sharp intake of breath, he added. "And I bloody well know my godfather would be proud of me for punching the shit out of Snivellus."

Then he left leaving a stunned Gryffindor Head of House behind.

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_Review please!_


	5. Leave it be

**Thank you for your support everyone. Keep it up. And happy belated Valentines Day to the ladies. :)**

**And yes, to that beautiful, beautiful girl whom I love with all my heart and she keeps breaking it all the time. But you will come around one day dear, I know.**

**Here it is... **

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**Ch 5: Leave it be**

Minerva McGonagall wasn't going to have a good day. It became pretty clear by the end of breakfast itself, when one of her favorite students pummeled the Potions Master and her colleague, Severus Snape, in a fit of rage.

If Minerva was honest with herself, Severus had it coming. The man seemed to revel in pushing Harry's buttons. One can only take it for so long before finally snapping. Though, it would have been better if she wasn't present at the time of justice being served.

She had maintained for a very long time that Harry Potter was Lily Evans' son through and through. But now it seemed, he was just trying not to show his inner James Potter. Minerva shuddered at the thought that the boy now had Sirius Black's guidance as well. That man was capable of things one could only dream of. He wouldn't be easy to control.

Well, she was glad it wasn't her problem.

Climbing up the spiral staircase to the Headmaster's office, she knocked once.

"Come in, Minerva."

Minerva entered the room and took the offered seat but refused the offered lemon drop.

"Well, what happened to cause such lines of concerns on your face Minerva." asked Albus.

"Haven't you heard Albus? You seem to know everything that happens in the school."

"Ah! Severus. Don't worry about him. Poppy said he will be alright in no time." said Albus, as if it was common occurrence for a teacher to be beaten so thoroughly.

"I am not worried about Severus. I am worried about Harry."

Albus sighed. "I am worried about him too, Minerva. This tournament has the potential to make or break him."

"So, what are you planning to do?" she asked.

Albus' eyes regained their twinkle. "Absolutely nothing."

"What?" asked Minerva with wide eyes. "I thought you would at least punish the boy once."

"My dear Minerva, I am perfectly aware that you tried to assign detentions to Harry and he threw them on your face." Minerva flushed. "Furthermore, I have no desire to be a victim of Harry's muggle dueling techniques."

"Severus will demand action." said Minerva through tight lips.

"Severus knows that sometimes you have to reap what you have sown and eat it as well. It is imperative that young Harry find his own way this year. It will decide the course of the future."

"What are you on about Albus?" she asked.

"Voldemort will return Minerva." Minerva gasped. "And he will return soon. And then he will come after Harry Potter, his nemesis."

"Then why aren't you preparing him, Albus?" she screeched. "He needs your guidance. He needs to learn to protect himself."

"Alas! I cannot. I have my reasons Minerva. It is better if we leave Harry alone for the time being. As for the matter of punishment for today's incident, he will not listen to any of us at this moment. He is righteously angry. Let him cool down a bit first."

Minerva nodded. "As you say, Albus. As you say."

**~X~X~X~X~**

Cooling down, for Harry, was proving to be especially difficult. He had went straight to the dorms after the fiasco with Snape to take a well deserved shower and wash off some of the stray grease on his skin.

After properly soaking, rinsing, and washing himself, he had sighed contently and wrapping a towel around himself, walked back to the dorm room.

Where he found Ron Weasley glaring at him.

"Skipping classes now, are we?" The redhead asked scathingly. "A Champion of Hogwarts doesn't need any education, I suppose. Just like he doesn't need any friends."

Harry closed his eyes. It seemed the main gossip of the school was yet to reach his 'best mate'. Ron would cry tears of joy when he would come to know about Snape, that much Harry knew.

He considered his options. One, say something which would utterly fail to penetrate the thick head of the youngest Weasley boy. He had no intention of doing that. Second, give him a sample of what he did to Snape, which seemed like a good idea. But Ron was still a kid. Highly irritating at times, but his friend and a kid nonetheless. Third, turn around and head back to the bathroom.

Harry took the third option and closed the door with a loud bang.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Harry decided to once more take his lunch with the elfs and took his invisibility cloak and map for good measure. It was getting difficult to get from one place to another without getting taunts and jabs from the majority of Hogwarts population. Though he was sure they would keep their opinion to themselves for some time after today's display, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Middle of the lunch, he had an idea and stopped Dobby for a second.

"Dobby, can you do something for me?" he asked.

Dobby bobbed his head up and down. "Dobby will do absolutely anything for Great Master Harry Potter Sir."

"Thank you Dobby. Do you know something edible that can…well, that can lead to stomach pains, dysentery, frequent urination, those type of things…and it should be undetectable by Madam Pomfrey?"

Dobby again bobbed his head up and down. "Dobby knows. Dobby will do that to bad Potion Master. Great Master Harry Potter Sir no need to worry."

Harry grinned. "Thank you Dobby. You are the best."

Dobby actually blushed. Purple.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Harry closely looked at the Marauder's Map for Fleur Delacour and made his way down the Grand Staircase to the door of the castle. He finally found her sitting near the lake.

She was leaning on her hands behind her back, looking at the water with a serene smile on her face. He could see the giant squid performing tricks for her and she would occasionally clap at its antics. Beside her, there sat a big packet of what looked like potato chips. She would sometimes throw one at the squid and sometimes munch on one herself.

Harry shook his head. He did not want to intrude her peaceful calm but he had an urgent need to find someone who would actually guide him towards a long, if not terribly happy, life.

So he slowly walked towards her.

Without any fanfare, he sat on the other side of the potato chips and took one for himself. Fleur did not seem surprised to see him.

"Where did you get these? They are muggle, right?"

She nodded and then yawned heavily.

"I did not find you at breakfast. You don't eat in the Great Hall?" he asked.

"I was asleep. I like to sleep till afternoon." she answered.

Harry looked at her pretty face, her lethargic features and her sleepy demeanor. He found himself curious as to why she always looked as if she would fall down any minute. He hadn't seen anyone behaving like that in the Wizarding World since he was reintroduced to magic. He worried if it was some kind of rare disease or something.

"Why are you so lazy, Fleur?" he asked her suddenly.

She turned to look at him at once. She probably understood that he wasn't insulting her or anything and was just curious instead.

Shrugging once, she said. "I am lazy because I can afford to be lazy, 'arry. I am very intelligent. I learn fast. I 'ad actually completed what Beauxbatons could teach at the end of my fourth year. But my maman wanted me in school at least until I waz an adult. I was supposed to end it last year. But zan Maxi insisted zat I continue this year as well. She wants zat cup."

Harry listened to what the girl was saying attentively. Fleur spoke slowly, without any previous haughtiness in her tone. It was as if she was…sad.

"It became too eazy to do anything. Maxi granted me exception from theoretical classes. I trained and learned more on my own. Slowly, my classmates, friends…fell apart. They could not compete with me. I became…what you English call, socially awkward. I had no goal. No reason. If your life becomes too eazy, you lose it. I guess, I slowly gave up. I started sleeping more and more. Zere wasn't anything else to do, you see. With more sleep came more food." she laughed mirthlessly. "I should be thankful that my Veela nature kept me from being fat."

There was no doubt now. She _was_ sad.

"I like zis well enough now. Being lazy is fun." she finished with a sigh and laid down on the grass.

Harry decided to remain in silence for a while and started pulling out the surrounding grass. It didn't look like Fleur was this lonely at first glance. She always smiled. She threw temper tantrums. She insulted authorities. But now he realized, she just subconsciously tried to gain a little attention for herself. She wanted to _do_ something.

Well…it couldn't hurt.

"Are you asleep?" he asked eventually.

"Yes. Yes. I am. In the land of dreamz. Pulling your 'air out of your skull."

Guess she was back.

"I need your help." he said.

"I know." she replied. "Zat's why I showed you those books, remember?"

He looked at her. "…Yeah."

"Tell me, 'arry. How much chances do you think you 'ave of surviving zis insanity?" she asked with her eyes closed.

"Don't know. Frankly I don't wanna think about it."

Fleur opened an eye and looked at him with that critical sight of hers. "Hmmm…" she unexpectedly offered him her hand. Harry looked at it, her face, again the hand, again the face, hesitated a little and then ultimately took the hand.

She pulled him down next to her and said, "Then don't."

Keeping her head near his shoulder, she looped one of her legs through his and threw an arm over his chest. She closed her eyes and sighed peacefully. "Relax 'arry" she muttered. "We will talk about zis later. It is better to just…sleep sometimes."

Harry had already turned beet red by this point. But he had no way to escape, so he took her advice and closed his eyes. He realized that she was probably right. It was sometimes better to do nothing if you had no choice but to move forward. Maybe he would die, maybe he wouldn't. Time will tell. But for now, he could relax and leave everything unpleasant for the future.

Soon enough, he was blissfully unaware of anything beyond a certain beautiful Veela sleeping peacefully next to him.

**~X~X~X~X~**

A man in a muggle suit walked out of a posh hotel in Paris, France. He took the keys from a hotel worker outside and took the driver's seat in a red Ferrari standing nearby.

He waited a few minutes for some unknown reason in the car itself. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket and lit one up with an old antique looking golden lighter. A phone suddenly rang in his pocket and after a thought, he picked it up.

"Hello?"

A woman's voice answered from the other side. "He knows Marcus. He knows."

Though it was quite a cool atmosphere and the car was a convertible, the man started sweating. The dangling cigarette from his lips slipped down and his breath hitched. "H-How?" he stuttered unbelievably.

"I-I don't know." the woman from the other side answered.

"TELL ME THE TRUTH." He shouted, running a hand through his hair and leaning down to pick up the lost cigarette.

"I told him." the woman cried. "I-I am sorry. I am sorry. He was going to kill me. I-I am so sorry Marcus."

"You dumb bitch. He is going to kill you anyway." said Marcus, trying to control his anger and fear at the situation.

"But-but, he promi-"

The rest of the woman's sentence was cut short by the sound of a gun shot in the background.

Marcus stilled. He knew his lover was dead. At least, she hadn't struggled. They had made it quick. The fact should have made him feel happy. He felt empty.

Someone picked up the phone. Marcus knew who it was.

"Marcus, how are you my son?" the voice asked.

"B-Boss."

"Ah, Marcus. You shouldn't have done that. I am so disappointed in you."

"I am sorry Boss. Forgive me."

"It doesn't happen like that Marcus. You know it son. Now, where are you?"

Marcus closed his eyes. "Amor Complex."

"Hmmm…start your car Marcus and turn at the first left."

"B-Boss?"

"Do as I say son, do not worry."

Marcus started the car and took the first left. "Now Marcus. Listen closely son. Your car has a bomb."

Marcus just listened to his doom being pronounced. A stray thought entered his mind that he didn't even have the guts to shout or even _mutter_ obscenities at the man who had just signed of his death warrant. But he just listened. And drove.

"It has a full fuel tank as well. I have given you time son. Repent all you want. God might make it easy for you in heaven. When you stop, the bomb will explode. I hope your journey is safe and sound. Until heaven then, son. Bye Marcus."

And the call disconnected.

Marcus drove. He drove until his eyelids refused to stay open and his legs had no power left. He was hungry but he dare not stop the car. It was too difficult to except your death. But he couldn't complain. It was his decision. He very well knew the consequences beforehand. Shouldn't have been too greedy.

At least, it wouldn't hurt that bad. Probably. Maybe only for a second.

_Boss has style though_, were his last thoughts before his brand new Ferrari exploded in small bits and pieces.

And Marcus met God.

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_Review Please!_


	6. A Crash Course In

**AN: The last scene of the last chapter will make sense in the future. Don't worry. One reviewer wondered why Marcus just didn't jump out of the car. It was because he knew that by 'when you stop', Boss meant 'when you release the accelerator'. He knew his Boss well.**

**Again, thank you everyone for your support. This chapter is much longer than the rest. Keep it up. :)**

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**Ch 6: A Crash Course In...**

It was past the time of dinner when Harry turned on his side and realized there was something, or rather, someone sleeping beside him. He stretched lazily and wrapped his arms around whoever it was. He hadn't had such great fun in his dreams lately. They were normally full of evil grotesque babies, big bad snakes and whimpering rats but it wasn't anything like that as of then.

It was nice.

A yawn escaped him and he pulled his company a little closer, a little tighter, burying his head in the hollow of that someone's neck. Taking a deep breath, he moaned as the smell of fresh flowers hit his senses. He rubbed his cheeks along the smooth skin he could feel against him. He hadn't felt anything like that before, perhaps except the fabric of his father's invisibility cloak. There wasn't a trace of roughness there.

He was just about to kiss that perfect smooth skin when…

"Keep it up, 'arry. Shall I remove our clothz az well?"

His eyes flew open and he looked at Fleur with an expression ranging from a mixture of bewilderment, shame, fear and mortification.

Fleur was looking at him with thin lips, though her eyes were filled with amusement.

"S-s-sorry F-fleur. I d-didn't know…" he stuttered.

Fleur gave him a look and asked, "You do know now, don't you?"

He could feel her breath on him as she spoke and he himself unwittingly took a rather deep breath, jumbling up her words in his mind. He didn't understand what she said at all.

"Sorry. Could you repeat that please?" he whispered. "I missed it."

Fleur's cheeks turned red as if she was trying to control either a lot of anger or a lot of laughter. When she spoke this time, each word was spoken very slowly and deliberately. "You do know now, don't you?"

Harry's expression turned confused. "Er…what?"

Fleur tilted her head a little, as much as she could, and pointedly looked at his hands which were still wrapped around her pulling her into him as much as he could.

Harry's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he realized his mistake and jumped apart as if he had touched burning coal. He quickly sat up and crawled to the nearest tree, putting as much distance between them as possible for the time being.

Fleur, meanwhile, too sat up and stretched herself to her heart's content. Yawning widely, she muttered something about hormone controlled boys and Harry flushed.

"Sorry Fleur. I was asleep and…I didn't know it was you. Sorry."

Fleur waved her hand carelessly. "Don't worry 'arry. Eet 'Appens. Eet felt good sleeping with you."

Harry looked down, wondering whether he should take it as a compliment or ram his head on the trunk of the tree behind him.

"Eet is late, non?" asked Fleur.

Harry nodded without looking up.

"Oh 'arry. I said eet iz alright, no? Calm down."

Harry finally looked up and gave her a small smile. "Yeah. Sorry again. We can eat here if you wish."

Fleur looked at him oddly and then shrugged. "'Ow?"

Harry grinned. "Dobby."

Dobby did not take any time in appearing with a full fledged dinner. "Dobby bring food for Master Harry Potter Sir and his frenchie friend."

"Thank you Dobby." said Harry. "Fleur, meet Dobby. My friend. Dobby, meet Fleur."

Fleur looked at the small creature and gave him a smile. "'ello Dobby."

Dobby answered, bouncing on his footsteps. " 'ello Miss. Dobby hopes Miss will like Dobby's frenchie cooking."

"I 'ope so too Dobby. 'Arry isn't your Master, iz he?"

"Dobby's a free elf, Miss. Great Master Harry Potter Sir helped Dobby in being a free elf."

Fleur looked at Harry once before returning her attention to Dobby. "That iz nice. You still come at his call?"

"Dobby likes to help Great Master Harry Potter Sir."

Fleur's smile widened. "Zank you Dobby. You can go now."

Bowing once to both of them, Dobby vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Shall we eat, 'arry?"

Harry nodded and started pulling the various food assortments from the basket Dobby had delivered.

He set up the plates in silence and Fleur looked at him as he worked. He was a small child, she decided, but on his way to be a great man. That night, in the antechamber, Fleur had seen his desperateness hidden behind the surface of boiling anger. He was afraid. Well and truly afraid. And who wouldn't be, really? Fleur herself deemed this silly competition as an insanity termed as sport in the name of fun and enjoyment at the expanse of some of the most worthy lives of the magical world.

To be honest, Fleur had expected Harry to be a pampered spoiled child, much like herself. That thought went out the window when she had laid her eyes on him for the first time. He neither had the air nor the superiority complex such children suffered from. No, he was a good down-to-earth _leetle_ boy. Fleur had seen the taunts and jabs aimed at him after that night and how he tried to control his shimmering anger.

She knew he would burst soon. It was only a matter of time before he did something to let out his frustration, likely on a teacher. She was actually proud of herself when he proved her assessment to be correct that morning.

Now what though? Harry needed help. That much was clear. Otherwise he would be dead in the first task itself. Huh…

Food.

Well, that was as good a start as any.

She quickly took her plate and started filling up her mouth without an ounce of grace or propriety. Harry had really expected better from her, seeing she actually had some table manners when she ate in the Great Hall. Right now, she could give Ron a run for his money.

Fleur did not talk while eating. Not once. Even when Harry tried to start a conversation by saying "Nice food, yeah?", she nodded once followed by pointing a finger at her plate, and then placing the same finger on her lips as the universal sign of silence.

Harry took the hint and himself returned to his food as well.

When she was full up to the brim, she finally gave a loud burp and put her plate down. Harry was already done by that point and was watching her eat for quite some time.

Dobby immediately appeared out of nowhere and popped out with the dishes without disturbing them once.

"So 'arry, what were you saying?" she finally asked.

Harry looked at her wondering where he should start from. Better be to the point, he decided. "I need your help."

"Go on. I am listening." said Fleur when he stopped at that.

"Er…with the tournament, I mean…I want your help…I know you are a competitor but I don't have anyone else here who isn't after my blood or who isn't a teacher or both in a few cases. You already helped me once by making me realize how underprepared I really am and that there is a real chance that I won't be alive at the end of this year. Please. I need your help. I don't wanna die." He finished with a sigh.

Fleur nodded knowingly with a sad smile. "What exactly do you want me to do?"

Harry looked at her and tried to come up with an answer. Then he just shrugged. "I don't know. My Godfather said he would have trained me if it was possible for him to be here. Teach me something. Anything. Just…just do anything. Anything which allows me a chance at life. I just don't wanna die. Please."

Harry wasn't aware of the moisture in his eyes when he said this until Fleur passed him a hanky. "Don't cry, 'Arry. I don't like children who cry. And you aren't so small eizer."

He quickly pulled his emotions under control and dabbed at his tears with the offered cloth. "S-Sorry."

Fleur nodded. "I will 'elp you but not for free."

Harry looked up in an instant. "What do you want?"

"Promisez." Fleur answered cryptically.

"What?"

"I want two promisez. One for the future. You will do one thing I ask of you in the future, no matter what eet iz, 'ow wrong eet iz, 'owever much you 'ate me for it. You will still do it."

Harry shifted a little. Fleur was suddenly taking it into uncomfortable territory. "I won't kill anyone." He said.

Fleur snorted. "I can kill someone by myself. Eet won't be something heinous. That I promise."

Harry nodded. "Okay. What about the other promise?"

Fleur smiled. "Zat is for your benefit. I do not normally teach anyone except my sister who 'ates me at ze time. You 'ave to promise me to do as I say when I am acting as your teacher. No questions asked. My methods will not be…conventional."

"Are you saying you are going to be like Snape?" asked Harry.

Fleur grinned. "Worse."

"All right. You want me to take an oath or something?" he asked.

"You are a good boy, 'arry Potter. I believe you."

With that, she stood up and her features shifted into a business like stance. "Do you have a way out of 'Owarts?"

Harry was understandably surprised by this question. "What?"

Fleur scowled. He hadn't seen that expression on her face up until that point. "When I ask a question, answer with an answer. Not questions. Rule one."

Harry gulped. She was serious when she said 'worse'. "Um…Sorry. Yes, I know a way out."

Fleur gave a curt nod. "Good. Lead the way."

"Now? After curfew? If someone notices-"

She raised a hand. "You 'ave already slept enough. No point in wasting the night. Now. Lead."

Harry sighed and nodded. He had no clue what she was doing but he had to trust her if he had given her the job to save him this year.

He got up and made his way towards the Whomping Willow with Fleur following him from behind. It was pitch dark by this point and most of the students were probably sleeping in their dormitories. Since Harry was at odds with practically everyone in the school, including his 'best friends', he was pretty sure that no one was going to miss him.

They reached the tree and Harry used his wand to pull the knot that would keep them in a single piece.

He motioned for Fleur to enter before him and then followed her inside. They were quiet the entire way before Fleur suddenly stopped and whispered, "You felt eet?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Extend your 'and outwards." He did as he was told. "Bring it back. Do it again. Again. Now, felt eet?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Umm…it was tingly as if…" he trailed off.

"Yes. Zat tingly feeling are wards. We are outside the 'ogwarts wards now."

Harry nodded in wonder. "I never noticed before."

"Keep coming back 'ere when you are free and feel them. You will get better wiz experience and understanding. For now though…"

She suddenly grabbed his hand and twisted. And Harry saw stars.

**~X~X~X~X~**

His hands were bending at an odd angle, his legs were being twisted, his skin was tearing apart and his organs were lurching inside him. He was being compressed and expanded all at the same time.

In a scant second, he was _somewhere_, and puking his guts out. All his dinner, courtesy to Dobby, was now a sick pile of white and yellow mucus lying in front of him. And he was still not done. It seemed his stomach would come next.

"W-what the h-hell was that?" he wheezed as he again puked something resembling fish.

Fleur looked at him with disgust plainly written on her face and vanished his dinner with a wave of her wand.

"Apparition. Instant mode of travel for wizards and witches. It might 'elp you in ze future." she answered his query.

"Merlin. Why can't they invent something remotely bearable? They teach this to sixth years, right?"

Fleur nodded once.

"Why didn't you warn me beforehand?" he asked angrily.

Fleur shrugged. "It's all about feel 'arry. Zis way you will remember the feeling more clearly and for a longer time."

Harry gritted his teeth and reluctantly nodded his acceptance. "Where are we?"

"Tower of London."

Harry's eyes widened and he looked around. "Really? Wow."

Though before he could actually do anything more than take a look of the historic castle, Fleur grabbed his arm again and twisted.

This time, he went into a fit of coughs and wheezes. "What the hell?"

"Feel 'arry. Feel. See. You did not puke anything this time."

"Because there was nothing left!" he shouted.

"No problem. You will get used to it soon enough."

"I won't get used to this in a lifetime." he groaned.

"Tonight 'arry Tonight. Do not worry. Now look around. See zat Clock Tower. It's called Big Ben."

Harry looked around warily with one eye resting on Fleur. She seemed to be content to let him take a look this time. Harry had heard about the place before but never had he visited any of the attractions. The tower was huge, standing at more than three hundred feet, and the clock was showing ten past one at the time.

"You want to see the inside machinery?" Fleur asked from behind him.

Harry nodded eagerly and she grabbed his hand once more.

This time, they arrived inside the clock. It looked much more complicated from here. Harry didn't know if this part was accessible by general public. He could not make heads or tails of the circular disks which were moving on their own accord somehow. And then there was the Bell. Harry hadn't seen that big of a bell, well…ever.

"Next stop?" Fleur asked and took his arm before he could answer.

"Buckingham Palace." Harry marveled.

Fleur kept this up for an hour before she finally stopped. They visited nearly everything London had for show. Museums, bridges, gardens and tall beautiful buildings which attracted tourists from all over the world. She would sometimes let Harry wander across and sometimes just a look would suffice. Fleur even made a return trip to Big Ben at Harry's request of hearing the Bell chime once. By the end of his impromptu tour of London though, Harry had a huge smile on his face.

"Thank you. I live here but I had never visited these places." he said.

"No problem. You got the feel?" she asked.

"What feel? Oh…yeah. I almost forgot. Yeah, I got it. I think."

Fleur smiled and sat down. They were currently in Hyde Park and Fleur looked a little tired. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "Now 'arry. Sit down and listen to the theory."

Harry sat down near her and tried to concentrate on her voice rather than how cute she looked with her eyes closed and a soft smile playing on her lips. There was a little wind in the air as well that completed her looks by making her silvery hair flow in all the directions. She looked like an angel.

_Merlin_.

"-ly explain once because zis iz a crash course and we don't have time. Listen closely." she was saying when he finally started filtering her voice to his brain as well.

"Apparition iz simply the power of removing your existence from one plane and depositing it on another on a globe. Zis iz completely instinctual and can be perfected with practice. Just like riding a bike, once you do it, you do not forget. Ze more magically powerful you are, the more people you can carry wiz you. I can carry four. Your 'eadmaster probably eight."

Harry nodded though Fleur still had her eyes closed.

"Zere are three ways to Apparate. Easiest iz to think of ze place itself. Which means you must 'ave visited ze place at least once. Next is to know ze coordinates of ze place. This requires proper and intimate knowledge of Geography and iz not always accurate. But you don't need to have visited ze place beforehand. Last and most difficult iz to think of a person and apparate to him or her directly. This requires an intense emotional bond with ze person to work properly. Got it?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Hmm…now. Pick up a point in zis garden. Try to apparate ten meters ahead. Wake me up when you succeed."

And Fleur laid all the way down on the grass. "But…how?" asked Harry, thinking it shouldn't be _that_ simple.

"Feel 'arry. Try to bring ze feeling to the front. Now go. You 'ave to learn eet tonight."

Harry dutifully nodded and went a little farther away than his starting point. He then concentrated and tried to bring the 'feeling' outside. He squinted at his initial point near Fleur and _wished_ to be there with her. It was very difficult to concentrate at night.

He closed his eyes and _imagined_ himself sitting near her. He tried to _will_ himself on that spot beside her. He tried to bring forth his magic and just be there in a squeeze.

Nothing worked.

He concentrated and thought of how it felt when Fleur did it. The multi-sensations of expansion and contraction his body suffered from. Still nothing worked.

Fleur opened an eye and looked at him making faces in her direction with his eyes closed. She sighed and closed her eye back.

Harry continuously tried to apparate for two whole hours but nothing seemed to work. He was frustrated, agitated, and a whole lot angry at Fleur. She was sleeping there for God's sake. He finally marched towards her sullenly.

"It's not working, Fleur." he announced.

"Eet will. Give eet time." she said and turned on her side.

Harry wanted to cry again. It was much better than standing there like a loon.

He had lost his patience. "The Sun is about to rise Fleur. You said we have only tonight."

Fleur finally sat up and scowled at him, irritation marring her face. "Fine." she said with an angry huff.

She then advanced towards him angrily and Harry had no choice but to step backwards. She was scary when she made that particular face. Looked more like a Dark Angel as of that moment.

She finally reached him and grabbed his arm tightly. She had entirely too much strength for such a soft looking girl. "You _will_ learn it tonight, 'arry Potter. Just in a few minutes."

And she twisted.

The first thing Harry realized was that there was no floor below him this time. The next thing he realized was that there was _wind _rushing through him in a vertical motion, unlike the horizontal motion in quidditch. Then, he realized that there seemed to be white clouds of vapour all around him. As he looked down, he finally realized that he was freely FALLING from sky.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…." The scream tore from his lungs as he fell towards certain death with the speed of a rocket.

Someone yanked at his arm and he remembered Fleur had gotten him in this position. And she was grinning at him. "APPARATE" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

And then she was gone.

"BBIIIITTTTTCHHHHHH" yelled Harry. "COME BACK AND SAVE ME."

But she wasn't anywhere to be seen now.

Harry continued screaming for some time as he felt his stomach float all the way up to his throat. Soon though, the feeling dispersed and he found himself lying face down on…wind. It felt as if he was lying on the floor…just not. The wind was still howling in his years, blowing him up from all directions. But suddenly, that feeling of weightlessness was gone and replaced with sheer euphoria. He felt like he was flying.

Just without a broom this time.

"Woooooooohoooooooooooo…" This time he screamed in pleasure. He was a bird gliding towards his destination. He extended his arms downwards in the position of a dive and felt a huge grin on his face.

Why couldn't he just live in space?

It was wonderful. Amazing. Stupendous. What he felt at that moment just couldn't be described in words. Harry knew this would be there all the way up with his best patronus memories.

It was difficult to breathe when you were being bombarded with air at such a velocity but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was exhilarating. There were no doubts here, no pain, no fear. It was so very loud, hearing the wind screaming back at you with such intensity as if it was a long lost friend.

It was magic. Better than magic.

Some things just aren't meant to last though. This became pretty clear to Harry when he remembered that he was still going downwards at a tremendous speed towards the suddenly clear ground which was getting bigger and bigger as seconds went by.

Fear returned.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. How do I stop? How do I stop? How do I stop?" he muttered as a mantra.

The ground was getting closer still.

"Apparate. Fleur had said. But How? It wasn't working before. Damn Fleur. What weren't you doing Harry? Try. Try. Try. Feel the feeling. Bring it forth. Yes. Yes. Like that. It should squeeze you. It isn't working damn it."

The ground was approaching faster.

"Merlin save me. FLEUR. IF I DIE…Oh gosh. I bloody never twisted."

Just as he was about to meet Death, Harry Potter finally twisted.

And fell back on the floor beside Fleur Delacour in Hyde Park.

"Ah. You did it 'arry. Congratulations." she said from her prone position.

"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?" He shouted at her as he took great gulps of air to satisfy his burning lungs.

Fleur did not answer and kept her eyes closed.

"I could have died! Were you trying to kill me? Were you trying to be merciful to spare me some horrific death in that bloody tournament? How could you have done that? Answer me."

"Do not question my methods 'arry. I told you beforehand." she finally said. "It was a crash course. And now you 'ave learnt Apparition."

"I am done with you. You will kill me faster than the tournament. Tata." He said, standing up.

"STOP." She too stood up and glared at him. "Don't come from tomorrow. I don't care. For today, you will do as I say or I will 'ex you so bad zat you would start thinking of the tournament as a mercy."

Harry glared at her. "Are you threatening me?"

"Yessss." she hissed.

"Fine." he said, gritting his teeth. "What do you want me to do? And don't show me your face from tomorrow."

Fleur snorted. "Az eef. Apparate as fast as you can towards all the buildings I 'ad shown you today. Do not wait for sight seeing. Sun 'as already risen. We 'ave to move fast."

Harry nodded tightly and twisted on his position, disappearing with a pop.

Fleur sighed and sat down to wait for the angry boy.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Harry apparated them both at the same point near the wards where they had disapparated from. They walked back towards the Whomping Willow in an uncomfortable silence.

As they neared the Beauxbatons carriage, he started to say something before Fleur cut him off. "Go and take some sleep. Meet me near the same tree after lunch."

Harry gaped at her. "I told you I won't be coming back."

Fleur smiled sweetly. "You will 'arry. If you want to live, you will. Now go."

Harry shook his head and turned towards the castle but stopped at a distance. Fleur was waiting for him in the same position, already knowing what he would ask. "What would have happened if I had failed to apparate in mid air? What would have been your response if my neck had snapped?"

Fleur suddenly laughed and Harry turned to look at her. "I take my responsibilities seriously 'arry Potter. If you 'ad fallen, you would 'ave bounced back as a ball and so on. I 'ad put an overpowered cushioning charm _on_ you. Funny, no?"

Harry's mouth opened and closed like a fish, unable to believe the meaning of Fleur's words.

She looked at his steadily. "Now go and rest 'arry. And bring your books wiz you after lunch. I am tired for now."

With that, she went inside the carriage and closed the door leaving Harry with his thoughts out in the open.

**~X~X~X~X~**

**_Review Please!_**


	7. Dancing with a Tree

**Hello guys. You guys are awesome. Keep reviewing, favoriting(is this a word?) and following this fic.**

**Now, updates might take a leetle more time from now onwards since my Uni exams are starting in two days. Believe me if you will, that as an outstanding student, I naturally didn't study at all up until this point. So, in order to pass, I really need to read. And second read. And third read. An so on.**

**Do not think I have abandoned this. See, I am posting this, am I not? Keep your belief in me and I will reward you, my loyal pets...Bwahahahaha...sorry, my loyal readers. I get overjoyed sometimes. Without further ado...**

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**Ch 7: Dancing with a Tree**

As far as Harry could remember, his life had always been full of extremes. An extremely young age to become an orphan, an extremely hateful band of relatives to be dropped at, an extremely pleasant surprise when he found that he was a wizard and magic really was real, and of course, extreme situations of life and death opposite some extreme kind of monsters and Dark Lords, where one mistake or a little less amount of luck could end up in him being laid flat and meeting his parents.

However, all these extremes were never designed to hurt him as blatantly as of now. This time, he was thrust into an extremely ridiculous situation, at the watch of the entire fucking world nonetheless, for a year long depravity in the name of fun for Wizards.

The thought was enough to make him shudder in the privacy of his dorm.

He should have been grateful that Fleur had agreed to help him, her very own competitor. And instead, he had yelled, raved and ranted at her. She had only done something that might save his arse in the future. She had bloody taught him Apparition in just one fucking night.

And he had gone all out on her.

In the words of his Uncle Vernon, he had really acted like an ungrateful brat.

Harry sighed.

For a change, he had really done something to apologize this time.

He didn't know what torture Fleur had planned for him in the immediate future but he'll gladly accept it and try to _really_ learn from the experience. So that, hopefully, she won't have to use some underhanded trick to make him grasp the difficult concepts of wizardry at a faster pace.

Well, at least he could Apparate now. Whatever she did, it was as good a start as any.

Harry ran a hand through his wet hair, getting ready for the day ahead of him, and determined that an apology was in order very soon. After lunch.

Nodding resolutely to himself, he picked his bag and walked out of the door.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Fleur, as expected, had her eyes closed when he arrived at their previously agreed meeting place near the lake.

This time though, she had also taken a little time to create a _very_ comfortable looking hammock, of all things, to laze upon. It was a white netted piece tied to a couple of trees and spelled to sway a little on both sides very slowly. Or, it might well be the slow wind making her hair flow in all the directions.

She seemed to have something new up her sleeve whenever he met her.

He thought for a minute, standing still in front of her, not quite knowing how to make his approach after his show in the morning. Deciding to get the apology out of the way first, he cleared his throat. "Fleur…"

"Hmmm…" she answered as if she knew all along that he was there.

That was the way she was. Harry never knew the difference between whether she was really sleeping or not. It sometimes irritated the hell out of him and sometimes amused him greatly.

"I am sorry." he blurted.

"For?" she asked, never opening her eyes.

"For my behavior this morning. I should have known that you would take care of me." he replied softly and then added hastily. "I mean, you wouldn't let me die."

Fleur sighed. "True. I wouldn't. But you shouldn't trust someone so easily, 'arry. Not everyone has your good in zeir 'earts."

"Still…"

"OK. Apology accepted. Now-"

But he interrupted her. "And I promise I will try my best this time. I won't disappoint you again."

Fleur finally opened her eyes to take a look at him and smiled. "Thank you. Now, give me your books."

Harry visibly relaxed after that and handed his bag to her. She took out his Defense, Charms and Transfiguration textbooks and then threw the bag away. She then beckoned Harry towards her.

Harry moved a little towards her and stopped but she gestured again. So he went closer. And closer and closer. Soon, he was leaning down a little on her. He wasn't still as close to her as he wished. He couldn't feel her breath on him but it was enough to look directly in her eyes. They were blue, very very blue.

And then they blurred.

"What are you doing, Fleur?"

She had removed his glasses in a fluid motion of her hands.

"Ssshhhh…" she said and Harry could see her doing _something _with the pair of glasses but it wasn't clear what. He blinked and squinted and tried to make out what she was doing. She had her wand in her hand probably. Or was it a stick, he didn't know. It wasn't clear at all.

However, a minute later, he felt her fingers on his chin and he suddenly gasped. "It's me, 'arry. Do not worry."

Well, of course, he knew it was her. _That_ was the reason behind his sudden intake of breath. Fleur was definitely doing something to him. He hadn't felt this way before. It was getting difficult to control his reactions in front of her.

And what in Merlin's name were these reactions anyway.

God, she had just _touched_ him.

"Now, open your eyes wide."

He raised his eyebrows at her. For some reason, he could never raise a single eyebrow as he had seen other people doing several times. He just didn't have the required muscle control. Fleur, however, pulled that look with such grace…

"Why?" he asked her.

"Just do it, 'Arry." she said in her clipped tones.

Harry did as he was told, even as Fleur herself took the matters in her own hands and used her fingers to widen the gap between his eyelids gently. He saw her finger closing on one of his eye and resisted the urge to flinch. She gently touched her finger to his Pupil and withdrew.

And the world came back into focus.

"What did you do?" he asked, amazed to feel no weight at all on his ears and still being able to see with such clarity.

"Contacts." she replied. "Let me do eet wiz the left one as well."

Harry nodded gratefully and she repeated the process with his other eye.

"How did you make them?"

She held up the frame of his glasses now sporting two holes in the center. "Magic." she said simply.

"Of course. Thanks." he nodded. "What are we doing today?"

Fleur sighed and pointed at a tree nearby. It was a very normal looking tree, nothing fancy. Harry didn't even know what it was called.

"What about it?" he asked.

Instead of answering him, she sat up and flopped down the hammock. She then led him to the tree and took out her wand. Harry noticed that the tree was the only one without any other companion in a long radius.

Pointing it at the tree, she started murmuring something in her breath as a light green glow started forming on her wand.

Harry watched with interest as the light grew more pronounced as she continued her incantation and suddenly she released the spell with a loud exhale and a shimmering green ball of light rushed towards the trunk of the tree.

Nothing happened.

Fleur took a deep breath and exhaled it. She was sweating a little. Harry concentrated on the tree and waited for something to happen; the tree to fall down or some plants to sprout nearby or the tree to enlarge to gigantic proportions or well, attack him but nothing of the sort happened.

Only a leaf fell.

"What were you trying to do exactly?" he asked her finally when she had steadied somewhat and was breathing normally again.

Fleur looked at him and raised that perfect eyebrow he was wondering about earlier. "_Trying_, 'Arry?" she asked with a snort.

"Yeah…I can't see any effect of your spell." Two more leaves fell. "Except that leaf, maybe."

Fleur smirked haughtily. "_That_ waz ze point."

"What?" he asked, dumbfounded. "You poured that much magic so that a leaf could fall. I could have simply plucked it for you."

For emphasis, he went to the tree and plucked out a leaf. "See?"

Fleur just shook her head and muttered _"Idiot"_ under her breath. "Come 'ere" she said with a scowl and Harry went back to her.

Fleur then adopted her lecture mode and started. "What I waz doing eez called enchanting. It eez a different form of magic which I do not think is taught at 'ogwarts since students 'ere are fools 'oo cannot wave zere wands properly, let alone understand the concepts of this fine branch, which only a few could 'ave a grasp in zeir entire _lifetimes_, let alone at seventeen years of age like myself."

By the end of her statement, spittle was coming out of her mouth and Harry was trying to wipe it without being too obvious. He too had his moments of subtlety.

"And take out a hanky for Magic's sake."

Well, there.

"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry." he said raising his hands. "I was just _asking_."

"Zen why are you apologizing?" she yelled. "And I told you not to interrupt me, did I not?"

"Well…you are _shouting_ Fleur." he pointed .

"I can do whatever I want. I am the teacher 'ere. It eez my right-"

"Are you on PMS?" Harry blurted before he could stop himself and quickly put both of his hands on his mouth.

Fleur's eyes widened and blood rushed to her cheeks. She stood absolutely still for a moment and then looked at him as if she would chew him in her dinner for the evening. But then, she closed her eyes, turned around and took a rather deep breath.

Harry considered running away when he had the chance but then her shoulders sagged and she spoke a word which was enough to stop him in his tracks.

"Sorry."

"What?"

"I said I am sorry. I sometimes become…irrational. You asked the right question but I…?"

"You _really_ are on PMS?"

"Shut up." Fleur yelled, throwing her arms above her in exasperation. "Do you have a one track mind, boy?"

But then she snorted and a reluctant chuckle escaped her. Harry wondered if she had snapped and finally gone insane as she soon dropped on the ground and her slow chuckles turned into an elaborate full blown laugh.

He looked at her as she tried to stop herself but failed miserably and finally gave in. He observed her face, devoid of any worries, any pain, any exhaustion, any _sleep_…just simple miraculous beauty. She grabbed her stomach and heaved for air but did not stop until her eyes watered and she had to wipe the tears of laughter away with her fingers.

He noticed that she kept her nails long. Silvery polished.

A small part of his mind thought that Professor Lupin would have a heart attack if he ever saw her. She loved silver so much.

And a much bigger part of his brain just tried to commit, to _imprint_, this very important moment and the very tiny details related to this event to itself, in a way that he would remember this forever.

Her laughter was the single best thing he had ever heard. Better than a wind chime. Tinkling.

Harry grinned. _Another memory for Prongs…_

Fleur finally stopped and looked at him, looking at her. She didn't blush this time and instead patted the ground beside her.

Harry took the invitation and sat down.

"You are funny, 'arry." she said with a smile, after some time.

"Is it an invitation for another sleep over, Fleur?" he asked with a shy grin.

Fleur shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, non."

"You liked sleeping with me so much?" he asked, titling his head on a side.

"I like sleeping, 'arry. Period."

Harry's grin faded and he sighed exasperatedly. "And here I thought, you actually liked me."

Fleur just looked at him oddly and he smiled sheepishly, ruffling his hair. "Sorry. Bad joke."

Feeling a little uncomfortable, he looked around and spotted that same tree which had started everything. "So, what did you _really_ do?" he asked as he saw another couple of leaves fall.

"Ah, I forgot." Fleur chided herself. "As I said, I enchanted it. An Enchantment essentially means adding a permanent effect to a spell. Or at least, a long term effect. For instance, I enchanted zis tree to never run out of leaves. Even during winter."

"Er…what has this got to do with me?"

Fleur nodded to herself as if she knew he wouldn't stop interrupting. "You know the stunning spell, 'Arry?"

Harry nodded. "Of course. It is actually a fourth year spell here. But Moody kind of skipped it in favor of the unforgivables…so I had to learn it myself."

"Unforgivables?" Fleur asked with another raised eyebrow.

She looked very cute when she did that.

But Harry shook his head and answered her. "Yeah. The man loves them for some reason. Especially the imperius. He put everyone in the class under it in the name of practice."

Fleur looked at him as if he was dumb and shook her head. "You must be mistaken. Unforgivables _are_ unforgivables."

Harry shrugged. "He took Dumbledore's permission. Said it's better we learn it here than in some dark alley from some death eater."

"Dumbledore 'as no right to give 'im permission. It eez the matter of international treaty."

"I don't know. Dumbledore _is_ the head of ICW, isn't he?"

"Still…I don't like it." she said. "How did it feel like?"

"What?"

"Imperius."

Harry grinned. "Well, it was an intensely pleasurable experience at first. I felt so happy that I would have done bloody anything to retain that happiness, but then…"

Fleur leaned forward. "But zen?"

"Then I threw it off and I was normal again." he said proudly.

"Impossible" she scoffed.

Harry scowled. "I did it. Ask anyone."

"It must have been a low powered curse then." she replied.

"Hehe. Very funny. For your kind information my lady, I was the only one who could do it." He said and then stuck his tongue out like a kid. And then added smugly, "In the _entire_ school."

Fleur sighed. "Fine. Good for you. Now back to the stunning spell…"

"Yeah. Yeah. What about it?"

Fleur swished her wand once and Harry looked up to see more of the leaves falling from the tree, at a little accelerated rate this time. Five or so leaves per second. He looked closely and realized that as one leaf fell, another would instantaneously take its place. Fleur really had done something incredible if this could actually go on for years.

"Now 'arry, what you need to do is simple. Stand up. Take a position and start hitting ze leaves with stunning spells."

"What? I have to hit…leaves of all things?" He raised his wand and a single leaf incinerated as his magic connected with it. "It's simple."

Fleur smiled condescendingly. "It eez not."

"Well Fleur…"

"Stand up, 'Arry." she ordered in a no nonsense tone.

Harry made a face but complied.

"Now, you will not stop moving at any cost. You will 'it as many leaves as you can running in circles around the tree. Eef you can 'it fifty in an 'our, I weel increase ze rate they are falling."

"And you will do what exactly in the mean time?"

"I will study ze books you gave me, no?"

Harry nodded with a sigh and took his position. Fleur stood up and moved back towards her hammock calling a 'start' over her shoulder.

Harry stood for a second and then aimed his wand at a leaf shouting '_Stupefy'_, grinned at his success, aimed at another leaf and again shouted '_Stupefy_' and pumped his fists. "This is too damn simple."

Fleur just snorted. "Keep you voice down and _move_."

It wasn't _too damn simple_ after two hours.

He was sweating profusely, his throat was dry, his legs hurt by all the running around, his muscles were sore, his hands _refused_ to raise his wand one more time and his butt cheeks were stinging from the curses Fleur was throwing his way negligently. She had apparently forgotten to mention that part of his so called 'Target Practice'.

Another stinging curse came his way and he managed to roll on his side just enough to dodge it by a centimeter.

"I will die…" he gasped.

"You weel if you don't stand up." said Fleur from her position on the hammock, not looking up, but throwing another couple of stinging hexes his way.

They both made an impact this time and Harry's eyes watered.

He looked up and cursed the person who was responsible for planting this tree.

Bloody hell, the worst part was that although he had lost count pretty early in the exercise, he knew well enough that he hadn't hit more than forty leaves casting the stunner at least two hundred times. That meant, at most twenty percent accuracy. God, he was pathetic.

Taking a deep breath, he raised himself on all fours and stood up with great care. He raised his wand with both his hands and actually growled in anger.

"_Stupefy"_

"_Stupefy"_

"_Stupefy"_

"_Stupefy"_

His hands buckled but he kept on going. Gotta do fifty, that became his mantra.

"_Stupefy"_

"_Stupefy"_

"_Stupefy"_

A stinging hex came towards him but he side stepped.

"_Stupefy"_

"_Stupefy"_

Only one more.

"_Stupefy"_

He turned towards Fleur with a big smile on his face. "Done."

She looked up from his book with a blank expression and asked. "What?"

"Fifty…" he wheezed. "Done. Fifty leaves."

"You were supposed to do them in an 'our 'Arry. It's close to three."

And Harry Potter fainted.

His last thoughts were utterly simple, one word really.

_Bitch._

* * *

_Review Please!_


	8. Up to the Task

**AN: Thank you for your support everyone. Keep reading.**

* * *

**Ch 8: Up to the Task**

"Where are we going? Wait…this. Are you taking me outside Hogwarts again?"

"Non, 'Arry." Fleur replied with a huge yawn.

"Then…why are we here?"

"To introduce you to ze complementary course to yesterday's 'Target Practice'."

Harry swallowed and wiped away the thin sheen of sweat from his forehead despite the chilly morning air.

"Fleur, you don't really mean that you woke me up at six in the morning so that the Whomping Willow could beat the shit out of me, right? Right?"

"Well, of course not. It eez only ze best dodging practice I could theenk of."

Harry stared at the huge sentient tree with a look of absolute terror pasted on his face. He hadn't forgotten the time in his second year when the cursed tree had tried to kill him and Ron by smashing Mr. Weasley's car into a pulp. Neither had he forgotten the last year when he had lost his glasses and the blasted tree was throwing him up and down like a rag doll in the hands of a child. He had been somehow saved both times as those contacts hadn't lasted for more than a minute or two. But Fleur seemed to be planning to throw him to the world's only maniac tree's mercy for a much longer time.

He turned towards her with a pleading expression.

"Please, Fleur. You cannot be serious. This tree has a history with me. It definitely wants to succeed this time in killing me."

Fleur smothered another yawn. "'Arry, don't be an idiot. She 'az promised me not to kill you."

"She? Whomping Willow is a 'she'?"

"Of course. Why do you think 'she' iz a 'he'?"

"Well…"

"Anyway, don't waste my time. Move forward."

"Fleur, I am telling you. This isn't a good idea. Even if it doesn't kill me, it can _seriously_ hurt me."

"Zat iz ze 'ole point 'Arry. Pain is a great motivator. And there iz not much magic cannot 'eal with, short of death."

Harry swallowed. "How much time?"

Fleur smiled. "Zat's my boy. Only three 'ours. Dodge as much as you can. Return to the 'ospital Wing when you are done."

Harry again looked up at the monstrous tree and tried to suppress his fear when he saw that it actually shuddered in anticipation. He turned towards Fleur but seeing the steely glint in her eyes, he knew that he had no choice. Steeling himself as well and taking a deep breath, he stepped forward.

And just as soon, a clearly transparent solid shield manifested itself behind him, circling the whole perimeter of the tree.

"What is this, Fleur?" he asked in panic as he turned towards her with wide eyes.

"An arrangement to prevent you from escaping 'Arry." she replied with another dazzling smile. "Three 'ours. And yes, I 'ave taken the liberty to take your wand from you."

"You can't be serious." he shouted.

"I am. Enjoy." she said as she turned around.

"Where are you goooooooooooooooooing….?" yelled Harry as he felt a very rough wooden surface, _wood, _impact on his back and throw him around like a piece of rock. He crashed painfully with the transparent shield on the other side of the circle and felt blood in his nose.

He distinctly heard Fleur's voice saying something along the lines of '…to sleep' and growled in annoyance before another branch took him by his waist and threw him back to where he had started.

His vision blackened for a moment and he saw stars before it returned as he saw a flash of silver hair entering a distinct carriage.

"You…"

He turned towards the angry tree and realized that it wasn't angry at all. It was merely playing with him, at least up until now. Another branch came out of nowhere at a great speed and Harry ducked at the last moment, the wood flying away from his head.

He sneered at the tree channeling his inner Malfoy and the tree most definitely took an offence.

Harry didn't even know how a couple of his teeth survived the next attack as he actually _heard _most of them fall to the ground below.

Pain enveloped him as he drank his own blood.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Exactly three hours later, a bloodied, broken and bruised Harry Potter was limping towards the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts with an arm around his female mentor who had, for some reason, deemed it necessary that they not make use of the levitation charm in the process.

A little more pain wouldn't kill him, she had said.

Harry had stopped scowling by this point and just took what she gave him.

The tree was done with him in only two hours actually. Apparently, Fleur was serious when she had told him that 'she' wouldn't kill him. He had laid another forty five minutes in a prone position, blood oozing slowly from the various cuts and scratches on his body as well as his nose and teeth.

She had dispelled the transparent shield and woken him up with a hand on his cheek.

"Enough for you, is it?" he had tried to ask but only unintelligible gurgles came out. Fleur though, apparently understood him.

"It waz necessary, 'Arry." she said with a sad smile. "You will learn faster this way."

She helped him up and then drew him closer to her. Harry was, even in his pain filled world, surprised by the brief hug she gave him. It wasn't like Fleur to be this emotional. Well, she probably really understood…

They made their way towards the hospital wing in silence, with Harry eliciting quite a few groans and whimpers of pain along the way.

Several students noticed the odd position of the Boy-Who-Lived-And-Probably-Won't-Soon in the corridors. On one hand, he looked quite seriously in pain and on the other side, he was completely leaning on the most beautiful French Veela. Some were also confused as to whether the Veela herself was responsible for the boy's condition and what had the boy really done to gain such treatment.

Harry had no doubt regarding the absurdity, and vulgarity as well this time, of the rumors about to grace the halls of Hogwarts very soon.

They finally reached the Wing and Madam Pomfrey bustled towards him.

"What have you done to yourself this time, Mr. Potter? I just treated you yesterday with magical exhaustion."

Harry silently pointed a finger, one amongst the few bones which were still intact, at Fleur.

The nurse turned her glare towards Fleur who answered the query, "He iz preparing for ze tournament. He weel visit quite often this year."

Poppy took a deep breath and motioned for her to take him to his regular bed.

It took two hours for Harry to get back to his previous health. Thankfully, it was much easier to attach bones with magic as compared to entirely growing them back using skele-grow as he had to do in his second year.

Though, the number of bones Poppy had to reattach was quite staggering.

"ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY. ARE YOU INSANE BOY? WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME WERE YOU DOING?"

He had to take a little skelegrow to regrow his teeth however, so this number did not include them.

"Wrestling the Whomping Willow." he answered truthfully.

"WHAT?"

Harry pointed his finger at Fleur again. "Ask her."

Fleur had sat by him during the entire process of his healing. Though she had a blank look on her face, he could the see the worry reflected in her eyes. He sighed in irritation. He just couldn't understand the girl. She would have been so adorable only if she weren't so…ruthless.

"Ms. Delacour, I do hope you know what you are doing with him."

"'e needs to learn if 'e is to survive."

"But he is a child."

"I am here, you know." Harry muttered but he was ignored.

"Children can not survive this tournament, Madam, I am afraid." said Fleur with an unusual seriousness on her face.

Poppy sighed heavily and left them alone. She knew that the French girl was correct. She just hoped young Potter would survive this as well.

Fleur turned to Harry who was staring at her unblinkingly. "What?"

Harry shrugged but then sighed. "How can you act so different one moment and then just turn around one eighty degrees the next? I know that you are doing this for me, I know that you are trying to make me tougher but still…who is the real Fleur Delacour. The one who breaks my bones or the one who sits by me for two hours when they are being healed?"

Fleur, as usual, turned this into a joke. "Ze one 'oo won't sit 'ere tomorrow."

"Fleur…"

"'Arry…"

"Fine. What do you mean by tomorrow? You want me to break my bones everyday now?"

"Of course. Az I said, Pain iz a-"

"-great motivator. Blah. Blah. Blah. I got it. How are you going to score me for this special variety of dodging practice though?"

"Simple. You are done when you don't need to come 'ere anymore."

"But-"

"Come along now. And I will teach you something fun this time. But first, we will get lunch."

That was that. One more day in the troubled life of Harry Potter.

So, Harry just followed her.

**~X~X~X~X~**

"Know any powerful fire shooting spells, 'Arry?"

"Incendio." He answered promptly.

"I said 'powerful'. Lost your hearing recently, non?"

"Nope. Nothing better than that."

"Fine" Fleur waved her wand and a wooden statue of a girl in Beauxbatons uniform materialized in front of Harry.

"Woah. That's some heavy magic. Who is she?"

Fleur raised an eyebrow.

"Wait! Now I remember. She's that Nicole girl, right? Your other champion?"

"Not my other champion. But yes, she iz."

"What do I do with her?"

"Burn her to the ground." Fleur replied with an unholy glint in her eye.

"What?"

"It's a statue 'Arry. I want you to perform your best 'Incendio' at eet and we will go from there."

Harry scratched his head. He had noticed the kind of looks that were traded between the two french girls. It had immediately reminded him of Malfoy. "What's between you two? I noticed both of you shooting glares at each other in the wand ceremony as well."

Fleur shook her head. "Why do you want to know everything 'Arry? You see, some people 'ave personal lives az well."

Harry shrugged. "Well, people do go out of their way to know everything about me. And turnabout is fair play. Besides, now that you are the only one who 'talks' with me in the whole bloody castle, I guess I am just hungry for conversation. And you seem to be interesting enough."

Fleur smiled. "Okay. I will indulge you this time. Potato, zat is Nicole, waz my best friend back when I had friends. She did something to piss me off very badly. Zat ended it for us."

"What did she do?" asked Harry curiously.

"Now, that iz being nosy."

"Please. Tell me. You can't seriously leave it at that."

Fleur looked at him for a second and then sighed softly. "Fine. She betted me away for a night with an older boy."

Silence.

More Silence.

"She did _what_?" growled Harry Potter.

"Calm down 'Arry."

"No. She did _what_?" Harry exploded. "That bitch. And she is strutting freely after…after what she did to you. Hell, she is a champion from your school. She should be expelled for what she did. Is your headmistress as mental as mine is?"

"You 'ave a 'eadmaster."

"Fuck his gender. And don't change the topic. Why is she still studying here? Why wasn't she expelled?"

"Eet was a long time ago. Maxi did not know about it. It waz not like I 'ad to 'onor her bet. Eet just _waz._"

Harry took a deep breath. "She should still be punished. She doesn't deserve-"

Fleur smirked. "Do you really think _I_ did not punish 'er?"

Harry cocked his head. "What did you do?"

"'ung 'er naked in zat boy's dormitory and locked the door for the night. Even _'e _wasn't interested in her. I suspect she 'ates me more because he did not do anyzing to 'er. Plus, I recorded everything and showed it to each and every girl in school."

Harry just stared at her for a minute before Fleur started fidgeting and then promptly burst into laughter. "I was right…You literally have a mean bone in you."

Fleur chuckled a little as well, remembering her revenge.

"Now enough. Incendio her." she ordered after a while.

"With pleasure." said Harry and incinerated the statue to ash with a look of glee on his face.

It took him three minutes of constant casting.

"Done."

Fleur nodded. "We 'ave to reduce that time and increase the power of your spell."

"How?"

"Sit down, 'Arry." she said, patting the ground beside her as she usually did.

Harry took his seat and listened.

"Now 'Arry, what I am about to teach you is dangerous magic. Do not tell about this to anyone. Anyone. Okay?"

Harry nodded seriously.

"You can think of this az a shortcut I devised just for you. Again, do not tell anyone about this."

"I promise. Now kill the suspense Fleur."

Fleur nodded. "You know why 'ogwarts 'as ze most powerful wards in 'istory? None, I am telling you, can breach them."

"Why?"

She drew the silence for a moment until Harry almost opened his mouth but then she whispered as if telling him a huge secret. "Because 'Ogwarts is built on the convergence point of three powerful magical ley lines."

"What are ley lines?" asked Harry.

Fleur groaned. "I should 'ave known. Don't you read anyzing? Fine. Now listen. Ley lines are magical, mystical alignments containing earth'z spiritual energy connecting ancient sites. If there is a place where there iz more than one ley line, it will be filled with great power."

"Got it. Hogwarts has great magical energy."

"Yes. And you can make use of eet."

Harry's eyes widened. Now it was getting interesting. "How?"

"I'll teach you. With practice, your spells will become much more powerful. Inside 'Ogwarts, that iz."

"Wow! I will be like Dumbledore." Harry marveled.

Fleur face-palmed. "No, you _sot. _You will not. It weel only amplify your own potential a little. If you try to access more magic from these lines, your body weel saturate and you weel die. What we don't want. "

Harry frowned. "I don't understand."

"'Arry. There iz a reason not everyone iz a God 'ere. Dumbledore iz a powerful man. 'e does not need ley lines to produce great torrents of fire. You need this to protect yourself. To gain an advantage over others in this tournament. Or at least to even the odds. "

"But how will I do that if I die?"

"Zat iz what we need to learn. To control zat power and draw only a miniscule amount." Fleur pointed out.

Harry asked tentatively. "'ave you done this before?"

Fleur nodded. "Twice. But I do not need it."

"Just like Dumbledore."

Fleur nodded once more, not even trying to go for modesty for once.

"Now, what you need to do iz…"

**~X~X~X~X~**

The next day, Fleur knocked on the door of her Headmistress's office.

"Come in."

Fleur pushed the door open and entered the ornately designed office of Madam Maxime. It was a mixture of style and expense that wasn't much common with magicals. The shelves were filled with all kinds of books, a large aquarium sat in one corner of the room and a lively statue of an eagle was fixed on the ceiling of the room. The most noticeable of all was the height of the room, in accordance with the requirements of the headmistress.

In the centre of the room, sat Madam Maxime behind her throne like chair. She had once told Fleur that she had copied that particular tidbit from Professor Dumbledore.

"You called me Maxi." said Fleur as she took a seat.

Maxi nodded.

"What is it?" Fleur asked eyeing the serious expression on Maxi's face. It wasn't like her to be that serious. Normally, the half-giantess had a jovial personality with those she knew on a personal level. Fleur was curious as to what had happened to put that kind of expression on her face.

She wasn't happy to find out.

"You must stop your acquaintance with Harry Potter."

As the words spilled from her mouth and presumably reached Fleur's brain, Maxi saw a flicker of uncontrolled rage on the beautiful Veela's face before it was covered with a mask of annoyance. Maxi let out an imperceptible breath as she controlled herself from reaching out to her wand and casting a cooling charm. She feared Fleur, plain and simple. She knew very well what an angry Delacour could do.

Fleur leaned back on her chair and allowed a ghost of a smile to grace her features. Inside though, she was trembling with Fury. For some reason, Maxi's statement had ticked a clock in her head.

"Can I ask you the reason behind this sudden command, Maxi?" she asked softly.

Maxi took a deep breath and nodded. "Nicole came to me yesterday-"

"Ah, the potato! I should have known."

"No! She came to me yesterday and told me about the rumours going rampant about you and the Potter boy. I confirmed them myself. You have been spending too much time with him these past days. He is your competitor. You must not allow him-"

Fleur narrowed her eyes just a tiny bit. "What I do with my time is my business and my business alone, Maxi. Or need I remind you a few facts better left buried in the past."

Maxime pursed her lips. "Fleur, you don't understand. If your fat-"

"I understand very well, Maxime." Fleur thundered. "Do not take me for a fool."

"But I just-" Maxime started.

"What happens between me and Harry is my headache. If you interfere or if _anybody_ interferes, Morgana forbid me, I won't leave enough of that person _to_ interfere."

With that, she stood up and turned. "Have a good day, Maxi." she said finally before kicking the door shut on her way out.

Maxime cupped her face in her hands. Why hadn't she chosen Hogwarts to be the headmistress? Why only France? Yes, yes, Dumbledore. Old man here.

Oh, this would be bad. She could just see it. Very very bad.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Days passed and Harry Potter continued his extensive and somewhat wonky training with Fleur Delacour.

He took his training from both the trees, he learnt what he called the technique of 'leyley' from Fleur and he applied those techniques in spells old and new.

He did everything he could think of, that is what Fleur told him, to improvise himself and delay his inevitable death for a few more years. And yes, he improved as well. He still managed to land himself in the Hospital Wing everyday but every time, the number of bones the nurse had to reattach decreased. Last time, it was 'only' eighty.

Fleur talked to him of her life sometimes and he shared his very own stories with her. She wasn't much impressed by the 'Battling with Basilisk' tale, attributing his win to sheer dumb luck but she had an odd look and a gaping mouth when she met Prongs of 'Patronuses and Prongs'.

Harry had smirked at finally leaving her speechless. He obviously wouldn't have if he had known the truth behind her reaction but Fleur somehow managed to contain herself.

Days passed and Harry Potter somewhere along the lines stopped caring or even thinking about his past friends and classmates. Nobody talked to him and he left them alone. Frankly, it wasn't even bad. If not for the looming death threat on his head, he would have said this was quickly becoming to be the best year of his Hogwarts life.

It was because of Fleur, naturally.

She was cool. She was beautiful. She was lovely.

And something happened to him when he saw her these days. But it was a foreign feeling. Similar to what he felt for Sirius and his Mum and Dad but a little more pronounced and centered around a specific organ on his body.

His Heart obviously.

Why did he blush so much these days? And since when had Fleur started using lipstick. So Red.

God, she just seemed to glow in moonlight. And sunlight. And lamplight. And wandlight.

And that smell. She smelt so lovely. Garden lilies and Roses and Jasmine, all in one. Fleur means flower, right?

"'Arry. 'Arry?. 'Arry?"

"Yes…yes Flower."

"What?"

"I mean. Yes Fleur."

"What happened to your nose?"

"Nothing…nothing at all."

"You all right, 'Arry? You are behaving…unusual, lately."

"Yes. I am perfectly fine. Nothing on my nose, see? No boogers."

"Umm…right. You do not need to feel scared."

"I am NOT scared. I am feeling above the clouds, just like the time you threw me from above."

"Right. Ready for the first task."

"Absolutely."

And Harry Potter went inside the camp, hand in hand with Fleur Delacour, sporting the biggest smile on his face for someone who is knowingly, most probably, walking to his doom.

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_Review Please!_


	9. The First Task Begins

**AN: Hi there everyone. Thank you for your support. Here it is, the start of the tournament. Hopefully you all will like it. If not, feel free to flame me (after logging in, that is) and I will flame you back. Don't kill me at it's end though...and review. Enjoy.**

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**Ch 9: The First Task Begins**

Harry entered the 'tent of the champions' hand in hand with Fleur. Either she chose to ignore the little detail or just didn't mind it at the time, Harry didn't know. He was just happy to touch her as much as he could.

These past few days with Fleur had made him yearn for some direct skin contact from her for some reason. He would always get a kind of an adrenaline rush whenever he could initiate such contact and a little happy smile would bloom over his face, filling him with a kind of pleasant euphoria. He felt as if he could conquer the depths of Atlantis itself and fight Merlin and Morgana single handedly with Fleur by his side.

She didn't even hurt him like before with her ridiculous training methods or it was probably more like he was adapting to them better than he had initially thought he would. His broken bones didn't even hurt as much. Just a teensy beensy bit…but he could tolerate that.

He knew it was ridiculous but he couldn't help it.

He had always known that his crush on Cho Chang was pathetic. It was nothing more than a school boy fantasy, a first at that, which would have taken place a little earlier in his life had it not been for the Dursleys stunting his social and emotional growth. But with Fleur, it was all different.

It was magical.

Not like Fleur's Veela allure or something but more like true l-

"Harry" shouted Bagman happily, jerking him away from his happy thoughts. Harry almost decided to strangle the overly cheerful man on the spot but that would have required him to take his hand away from Fleur and so it wasn't worth it. The man continued without taking any notice of Harry's perpetuating scowl. "Come in, Come in. Make yourself at home. We were just wondering where our youngest champion was."

Harry didn't answer and allowed himself to be lead to the only secluded spot in the overly crowded tent by the French girl.

They both sat down on two comfortable chairs and he looked around to gauge how the others were coping with their anxiety issues. They, after all, had no one to hold hands with.

Cedric was sitting alone near Bagman with his eyes closed and a look of intense concentration on his face. His lips were moving silently as if he was memorizing a particularly difficult textbook on the very day of the exam. Harry was reminded of Hermione for a moment and a sudden pang of sadness made its way to his heart. The girl had looked a little lost and a little afraid today when he was coming down from the common room. She had probably wanted to hug him or something but chickened out at the last moment. So much for being a Gryffindor.

He shook his head in resignation and moved forward. Krum and Dumrov were sitting on the opposite sides having a staring match with each other (or were they glaring?) for some reason. Harry was getting increasingly unsure as to the emotional stability of the Durmstrang students after observing these two. He had heard that Dark Arts was bad business for a Wizard's mental health but it couldn't be _that_ bad. What did Karkaroff really teach at that school? It always seemed that their faces were stuck in that expression. They _always_ scowled.

'Potato', as Harry too had started calling the girl in his mind, was glaring as well. At Fleur and their still adjoined hands alternatively. As their eyes met once, Harry widened his eyes and bared his teeth, giving her the best dark look he could muster at a moment's notice. She looked away.

Harry finally turned towards his very own companion and smiled at her. During their practice together, they had somehow gone from being a teacher and a student to being companions. Fleur was understandably the only one Harry could talk to, for obvious reasons, and she herself had no friends to call her own. Also, he had noticed a certain tension between her and the headmistress these past days, though she refused to share any reasons with him. Nonetheless Harry was glad that he was the one she was closest to, if only at Hogwarts.

Fleur looked at him and raise an eyebrow. "What waz zat?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't like her."

"You don't even know 'er."

"Don't need to. She's a frenchie. Frenchie's are bad." he said wiggling a couple of fingers at her.

Fleur snorted, semi-offended at the insult thrown at her country. "I am a frenchie az well, eef you somehow forgot eet."

"Ah! But you are _my_ frenchie, dear. That makes all the difference in the world."

Though she tried to keep a bored expression on her face, Harry saw the tiny curving of her lips but it was gone the next second and he couldn't tell if he had imagined it. "My, my, little 'Arry Potter is growing up."

Harry smiled. "Your influence, dear Fleur. Entirely your influence."

"It waz my pleasure." she answered primly.

"Eet waz my pain." he retorted, mimicking her accent.

Fleur sighed. "You are such a child, 'Arry. I wonder how much fun I weel 'ave preparing you after this task."

Harry's smile faded a bit. "Are you threatening me, Miss Delacour?"

Fleur winked. She actually _winked _at him. "Of course, Mr. Potter."

Before Harry could formulate a proper response to that, a horde of judges comprising of the headmasters and Mister Crouch entered from somewhere through the tent.

"Ah, Dumbledore" Bagman greeted in his loud voice. "We were waiting for you all. Has our esteemed audience settled?"

Dumbledore had a very severe expression on his face and none of the twinkle in his eyes, not unlike how he looked on the night Harry was chosen as a champion by the Goblet. The old man seemed concerned and that did not bode well in Harry' mind. He and Fleur glanced at each other and for the first time since Harry had known her, Fleur looked unsettled. She was determined though and squeezed his hand to show her support.

Harry gave her a small smile.

"Ah, yes, Ludo. The audience has settled quite well and is clearly anticipating the event to start." the headmaster replied.

"Well, well, well." the old Quidditch fanatic rubbed his palms together. "We can't let them wait for much longer. Shall we start this then?"

Karkaroff and Maxime nodded behind Dumbledore and Mister Crouch motioned for Bagman to continue.

Bagman turned towards the now attentive champions and called them forward. "All the champions, here please. Form a circle around me."

They did as such.

"Now, I will be your commentator for the entirety of the event, so you will hear me quiet often even during the task. Listen to me pretty well, as that might save your life in there." he said grandly.

"The task was initially designed to test your courage in the face of the unknown. Then, we were gifted three extra champions out of nowhere and we decided to make it a little more interesting. Now, it will test your courage, daring and strength in the face of the unknown."

"What is this unknown exactly?" asked Harry when Bagman quite deliberately paused and no one else spoke.

"I am coming to that, Mr. Potter. Do not worry." said Bagman with a beaming smile. "Firstly, this will be a team event." Harry beamed. "Both champions from each school will pair up and participate together as a team." Harry scowled.

Fleur snorted beside him as Potato glared at her yet again. Krum and Dumrov didn't give away their thoughts as their stony expressions barely changed. Cedric looked as if he was constipated. It seemed he didn't have much confidence in Harry's abilities with a wand.

"The arena has been divided into three concentric circular segments. The outermost segment itself has been partitioned into three parts. All six participants will enter the arena simultaneously through three separate gates. Each team will fight a…creature of significant size…"

"Ludo…" Dumbledore said with a warning tone.

"Fine, Albus, fine." Bagman huffed. "We'll tell them this one, alright, but at least let me explain it all to them first."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Thank you. So, where was I? Yes. So, you will have to fight this creature we'll be telling you about soon. All three creatures in this segment are of a different breed. It's your luck what you get. You can either incapacitate or kill the creature but you should do something that will cost you the least amount of time. With me so far?"

All the champions nodded.

"Now, as soon as these creatures are down, the wards to the inner level will disperse but only for those that have defeated their first foe. Inside, you will get a couple of the rarest creatures you would probably ever see in your lives. And I mean, a real _couple_. We won't tell you about them though, so it would be a surprise. Here, there won't be any partitions to separate you from the other teams. It's your choice if you want to defeat these creatures together or throw others in their path."

"What?" questioned Cedric. "You mean, we are allowed to attack each other as well."

"Of course. This is a competition, isn't it? No unforgivables though."

Harry was feeling a little faint, looking at the _now_ grinning Dumrov. He looked like a maniac as he rounded his neck to look at all the champions one at a time. Krum didn't react.

"There are no wards to the innermost gate to stop you from entering the third level. You just have to get past the creatures and they won't follow. That will be difficult though, mark my words. And of course, there is one last creature in our innermost level. He is a guard by nature itself. _If _any of you get past him somehow, you will see a shield. The student of the school that touches it first wins."

"You mean we have to defeat six dangerous creatures in all?" asked the squat French. Harry noticed that her accent was noticeably better than Fleur's. "This all seems too awfully complex for the first task."

Bagman nodded. "As we said, we made changes to the initial plan. We decided to start it with a bang. Mr. Crouch even graciously allowed us to use all the budget we had allotted for the next two tasks."

Cedric asked something sensible. "What would you do for those tasks, then?"

"Err…"

Fleur snorted. "Isn't eet obvious? They all think none of us weel survive this."

A silence as thick as naked flesh and just as raw descended the inhabitants of the tent. Nobody breathed. None of the other champions had even guessed what Fleur had so casually spoken. It felt like they were being thrown to not only Lions in a cage, but Lions in a cage that were purposely starved for far longer than necessary just so the beasts could tear them apart with such animalistic fury that their chunks of flesh would fly in showers of blood and they would howl with pain, too weak to fight.

And the sheep would enjoy.

Frankly, Harry was probably the only one beside Fleur who took this statement without paling. What can you say? He was already preparing to die for the past month or so. This was no news to him.

"You can't be serious." said Cedric accusingly. "You are murdering us."

"Now. Now." said Bagman trying to calm down the frightened boy. "Let's not be too hasty here. There's nothing to fear except for what you signed up for. You were told this tournament is dangerous, weren't you?"

That wasn't the best thing to say apparently.

"But…But…" said Cedric paling further.

"I still suggest we should go back to the original task." said Dumbledore in a somber tone.

"Nonsense." objected Karkaroff. "We decided it and it is done Dumbledore."

"You are putting your own students at risk as well, Igor. Do not forget."

"My students are not pussies." Karkaroff laughed but stopped short as all the females including the huge Madam Maxime turned towards him.

"It's all in the name of fun. Don't worry, my boy." said Bagman trying to break the tension, thumping the Hufflepuff on his back. "You will do great. Don't you want to know what we have for you now?"

With that, Bagman took out a velvety pouch from somewhere deep in his pockets.

"Here, Ms. Delacour. You go first. This will be your first opponent."

He motioned for Fleur to take out something from the pouch. Her hand went inside and she raised an eyebrow at Bagman for some reason as she felt something around and grinned. "You went all out for zis, non?"

After a moment when everyone waited with baited breath, she took out a small black ugly lizard_ish_ creature out of the bag. It had large horns on its head, black beady eyes and its back was filled with small scales which got larger as it got around to its tail. The small miniature dragon looked at the still grinning Fleur and eyed her up, finally letting out a small puff of air and then an equally small flame which stopped short of reaching her.

Nobody spoke up until Fleur nipped the tiny little dragon on its snout and happily commented, "Cute, izn't 'e 'Arry?"

Harry nodded uncertainly.

"Well, that's the Hungarian Horntail for you Beauxbatons." said Bagman lightly. "Vicious little beasts, they are."

"Dragons…?" Potato asked.

Cedric was just opening and closing his mouth like a fish which was being held just above the surface of water forcefully, longing for a drop of water to save itself another moment of life.

Krum and Dumrov grunted in unison, as if it was normal for them to be playing with Dragons in Durmstrang. No, really. What?

"Yes." Bagman clapped excitedly. "Aren't they exciting?"

"Not so much if you have to face them." murmured Harry under his breath but Bagman ignored him, extending the pouch towards Krum. He got a green Chinese Fireball and Cedric hesitantly pulled out a blue Swedish Short-Snout. That one looked a little less dangerous than others, but then again, it would probably be a lot bigger outside.

"Well, there you are! That's it." said Bagman. "We'll just be going now and I'll call you all outside in a couple of minutes. Ready yourselves champions because this won't be easy."

With a last look, he went out with Mr. Crouch, Karkaroff and Maxime following them without a word. Dumbledore, however, remained. Looking around all the champions in turn, he sighed.

"I am terribly sorry, students. I tried to keep them from changing the initial plans but Minister Fudge intervened on behalf of Ludo…" Taking out a hanky from somewhere in his pockets, he rubbed his half-moon spectacles and put them back on. "I have no doubt that you all possess undeniable courage and represent the best your country has to offer. Do not doubt yourselves in the face of fear, for it will not help you. Throw all you can at the beasts outside and just try to live one more second each time the thought of giving up comes to your mind. I am confident that you will succeed."

A sad smile broke out on his face. "It is indeed sorrowful that our society lusts for blood so much in the name of enjoyment. Alas, it leads credence to the fact that humans themselves are beasts. Nevertheless, I wish you all the best, warriors. Whoever might win, you all are champions. Do not forget." His speech finished, the venerable headmaster turned around and strode towards the entrance of the awning.

But as Harry had already predicted, he stopped once more and turned to look him directly in the eye. "I remember a boy of twelve slaying a deadlier creature, a basilisk if I must, with the help of only an enchanted sword. If done once, nothing stops you to do it again."

_Was that a hint?_

**~X~X~X~X~**

Harry stood outside a long set of wooden doors, which were blocking his view from the chorus of spectators that were gathered around the huge arena for the first task of the previously named Triwizard Tournament, with Cedric Diggory by his side.

A little further on his left along the circular wall stood the Durmstrang champions, Victor Krum and Vlad Dumrov. On his other side were the two students from Beauxbatons, Nicole Moreau and Fleur Delacour. Each pair was standing outside two similarly huge gates, that would be opening up anytime now to pit them against beasts older than the human species themselves.

Harry's eyes were glued to the last of the names mentioned above. She was not overly tall for a girl but not too small either, an inch or so more than his current height. She had long silvery hair and a lazy smile tug at her rosy red lips even now. Her skin was exquisite, softer than silk, one simple touch enough to convince even the dead to wake up and do a little jig. She was always confident, no matter who she stood up against. He knew that she would prefer dying over loosing her pride.

She was beautiful in every sense of the word he could think of.

She had trained him, made him capable of at least having a chance of living through some accursed tournament. And he was a stranger to her at that time. She was the only one who had seen his desperation, his fear, his sheer shock at the situation he had found himself into against his wishes, and contrary to others, she had actually helped him as much as she could.

It was a testament to how much he had grown attached to her that he was still thinking about her in front of these doors that would open anytime now, heedless to that very thing that he had feared for so many days.

If this was his last day…

And Harry Potter made a decision.

He did not take any notice of the shouts of the older Hufflepuff boy as he ran in full tilt towards the older French girl. It did not look as if it was much of a margin, but in reality it was. The arena was huge, so Fleur was standing at a much more distance to him than he had initially assumed. But he ran and did not stop.

Fleur turned to look in his direction, coming out from her own musings, and her eyebrows went up into her hairline as she saw him sprinting towards her with a probably frantic look on his face.

As he finally reached her, stopping just before colliding into her, Fleur opened her mouth to say something but before she could prepare herself, Harry reached across the space separating them, hooked his hand around the back of her neck, and yanked her forward forcefully, bringing her mouth up to his in a searing kiss.

Birds froze, Winds halted and Time itself stopped its eternal run as two passionate souls collided with each other after a millennia of agonizing want. Harry took her tiny waist in one of his hands and grasped her long flowing hair roughly in a fist, mashing his lips into hers with a great force. He moved his lips against hers eagerly, forcing her to move her own lips in sync with him.

She tasted better than anything he had eaten in his entire life. She was a drug, _his_ drug, and he was addicted to her. Oh how he had wanted her for so long and now he _finally_ had her…it didn't matter if she wanted him or not. She was _His_ and his alone.

Fleur remained still and stiff as a board for a full minute but then slowly relaxed in his arms and put her hands around his neck. She clung to him, trying to pull him still closer to her, opening her mouth for him to do as he pleased. Her tongue brushed his lips and Harry let her take control of their kiss. She used her tongue to explore his mouth and allowed Harry to roam his hands all over her body. Their tongues clashed and danced against each other, sating their needs and making them all the more desperate for more.

Her smooth slim figure rose parts in him that had never woken up to this degree before. She was his to touch as much as he wanted. He slid his arms over her slowly, enjoying every inch of her as much as he could. His hands cupped her ass and Fleur let out a moan of appreciation. He pinched her once and she pulled at his hair in response. He could take as much of her skin as he wished. Her shoulders, her stomach, her breasts…

"…rry…Harry?" Someone was shaking him. "Are you there? Stop daydreaming. We have to go…the dragon is waiting for us."

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"Dragon, Harry." said Cedric, shaking him once more for good measure. "Look at him, he is looking at us."

Harry looked up and sure enough, the doors were opened. Ignoring the Dragon on the other side, he groaned. "No. No. No. That shouldn't have been a dream…This is...it _couldn't_ have been a dream."

"It was." said Cedric in a sympathetic tone, as if he knew all along what Harry was thinking.

"God, why do I live?" Harry said, looking up at the sky to seek some answers. "It's not like I have something worth living for if that was a fucking dream."

"Harry…"

"What?" he snapped.

"Dragon."

"Why do you want to…fine. Dragon. I'll kill that bloody bastard and make my dream come true…Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."

And Harry Potter let out a huge roar…he had a Dragon to slay.

**~X~X~X~X~**

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_Terribly Sorry...Then again, maybe not! Poor Harry..._

_ I wanted to cover the whole battle in one go. Next Chapter is huge. But first, Review this one please!_


	10. The First Task Ends

**AN: All right. This is it. I tried my best to make it interesting and this is what I could do. Hopefully, you all will like it. Here it goes...**

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**Ch 10 – The First task Ends**

Harry's roar of fury died in his throat as he actually _looked_ at the dragon and the reality of the situation finally dawned on him with full force.

As soon as he had entered the arena with Cedric at his side, the loud cheering noise of the tens of thousands of spectators had hit his senses suddenly, drowning away the loud bang behind him as the huge wooden doors closed on themselves.

"And here are the Hogwarts Champions…" came the loud voice of Ludo bagman from somewhere amongst the crowd.

There was a transparent shield separating the other four champions from them, each one gazing at the huge monstrosity awaiting him or her for Merlin knew how long.

Harry eyed his own large blue dragon in front of him critically and tried to make a comparison of the beast with the others he could see. Looks wise, Fleur's dragon was definitely more menacing than the one in front of him, perhaps because that one was already baring its large, pointy teeth. The Chinese fireball in the Durmstrang camp was the shortest amongst the three and his Swedish Short-Snout wasn't that short at all. At an approximation, it would be at the least thirty five feet tall.

Its long sharp tail sent shivers down Harry's spine as he noted that it was full of spikes, which were probably sharper than your average kitchen knife. His large yellow beady eyes glowed with an eerie intelligence and sentience that wasn't common in the normal animals, magical and non-magical alike.

The Dragon hadn't paid any attention to either of them as of that point and Harry wondered how they were going to approach it from there. It seemed the most relaxed out of the group, unlike the others who were already snarling at the petty humans that had dared to show their faces to them.

"Cedric?" Harry asked without taking his eyes off the dragon.

"Hmmm…?" the other boy replied doing the same.

A loud boom enveloped the stadium as the two Durmstrang champions started throwing spells at the now growling dragon in front of them and the crowd screamed. Neither Harry nor Cedric gave them any attention, content to delay the inevitable as long as they could.

"I was just wondering, you know…they threw me in this insanity against my will but what made you jump into this _voluntarily_?"

Cedric rubbed his smooth cheek. "Let's see…you met my father, didn't you?"

Harry grimaced, remembering that meeting before the world cup. "Yep."

"You know how he is then. Then there was Professor Sprout, lovely old cougar that she is…" Harry coughed suddenly. "…my friends, my girlfriend and my entire house in general. Hufflepuffs are a very competitive lot Harry, I am telling you."

"Yeah. So, you were thrown in it as well. I am sorry."

"I admit, it was kind of cool for the first couple of days when all the girls were vying for my attention, but that too became a pain when Cho found out."

Harry turned to face him finally. "Chang is your girlfriend…wait, I thought you were gay."

Cedric gave him a look. "Who told you so?"

"Umm…no one. I just thought…"

"Why?" growled Cedric, suddenly angry. "It's not like my skin shines and I am all gooey-gooey, is it? I just try to be nice and people think I am gay. Come on…"

"Calm down. I was just asking." said Harry, throwing his arms up.

Cedric took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Sorry. It's a sore spot. There are some guys who…spoil my reputation."

Harry nodded. "So…how do we do it?"

"What?"

Harry pointed a finger at the blue dragon.

"Oh yeah, that." Cedric said, suddenly realizing where he really was as Vlad Dumrov let out a pain filled cry of agony as one of the great balls of fire the dragon was throwing scorched his face. "Yeah, about that. I don't know. I didn't know it was a dragon beforehand either."

Harry nodded in understanding. "We both are pussies."

**~X~X~X~**

A little distance apart, two French girls were bickering as a huge Hungarian Horntail; a monstrous, ugly, scaly, black lizard with evil, yellow eyes; thrashed her spiked tail leaving huge yard-long gouge marks in the hard ground, licking her 'lips' with her large tongue as she eyed her food.

Yes, she was a female.

"What, afraid now Delacour? All your skill at magic left you at the sight of the monster?" asked the shorter looking witch in a scathing tone.

Fleur sighed. "I just thought I would take the role of the mature being and rest our fight for the time being so that we could work together." Then her eyes burned as she glared at the other witch. "But it seems this simple concept is below the understanding of a pigheaded girl like you."

"Shut up! You ugly whore – you are the one to talk about maturity. I haven't forgotten anything, you-"

**~X~X~X~**

"And Victor Krum throws a conjunctivitis at the angry dragon but he misses at the last moment and Dumrov gets a thrashing of the tail and he is flying through the air…and Ah, what is this, it looks like the ladies from the French contingent are fighting amongst themselves. Fleur Delacour viciously slaps Miss Monreau across the cheek, I wonder what's happening there and Hogwarts seems to be discussing something…"

**~X~X~X~**

"So that's how you met Chang…" said Harry, slapping Cedric on his back. "Cooool."

Cedric grinned.

**~X~X~X~**

"I am not the slut, you whore." spat Fleur as she glared at her fallen schoolmate. "You want to fight this thing alone? Fine, I'll just sit in a corner and let you burn to a crisp before lifting another finger in this damn task…"

Nicole's eyes widened as she realized she was in trouble but Fleur was a witch of her words. She promptly went to a corner and conjured a large spacious sofa to comfortably lie on and watch the show. A wave of her wand conjured a solid iron shield to stop any stray fiery attacks from the beast.

Nicole stood up on unsteady legs and scowled at Fleur with pure hatred dripping from her face.

She turned towards the Dragon she now had to face alone and her eyes widened as the Horntail roared and threw a scorching bright flame in her direction…

**~X~X~X~**

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Diggory, it would be better if you would start now…Why is the Short-Snout not attacking them keepers?" Cedric heard Bagman's voice and finally sighed as he looked at Harry.

"Harry, we have to…"

"I know, I know. Let's get on with it now…it just seems unfair to attack it when it's leaving us alone."

"Yeah…I think we got lucky on this one."

After ten minutes, Harry was throwing a dirty look at Cedric as both of them crouched behind a huge rock to save themselves from the Dragon's ire, gasping for breath as sweat dripped off them in litres.

"Lucky one…?" he hissed.

Cedric winced. "Sorry. I guess it was just waiting for us to open."

They had both been wrong in their estimations of the peaceful looking dragon. It was just _looking_ that. It was just as angry and evil as the other two, what with trying to kill them so much…

They had both started by throwing a volley of as many stunners as they could manage at the Dragon, which had only served to irritate him and not making him, at least, drowsy as they had hoped for. The Dragon had bared its teeth and given the loudest of roars up until that time in the stadium. Every head had turned towards them at that point.

Harry hadn't stopped throwing his stunners while Cedric had gulped and pulled him out of the range of a hot burning flame just at the last moment. A flame freezing curse from the seventh year Hufflepuff directly in the mouth of the Dragon went unnoticed, managing to only anger the Dragon further who stood on its full height now and gave another large beastly roar.

They both managed to dodge the tail that came their way by jumping in the direction opposite and running out of the range of another attack as fast as they could.

The Dragon had then taken them by surprise by unfurling its wings. Harry had thought that it was about to fly over when it had started flapping its wings in quick succession not vertically, but horizontally, creating a strong gale of wind enough for both of them to lose their footing and fly ten feet in the air towards the hard wooden doors and crashing painfully against the smooth surface.

Harry groaned as he stood up first and moved towards Cedric to help the older boy who had no practice of being beaten in up in this fashion. He helped him up and growled angrily towards the dragon which was somehow successfully radiating a sense of smugness off him.

Leaving Cedric to gape towards him, Harry ran towards the dragon at full sprint and aiming his wand directly at one of its eye, snarled _"Hasta Telum"_ once, twice, thrice and again.

A series of long iron spears rushed out of his wand at the beast with a great velocity but the Dragon turned its head and each one crashed against its rough skin uselessly. Harry gnashed his teeth in frustration and shouted, _"Ascia Telum"_.

Another series of axes rained out of his wand at the dragon at speeds higher than he had managed before in any of his practices, but they too clattered to the ground uselessly.

The dragon turned its head to Harry again and eyed him menacingly. Great gouts of fire left its mouth and Harry hastily conjured a solid shield, amplifying his magic from the Hogwarts ley lines as Fleur had taught him and concentrated on keeping his will intact to limit the flow to only what he could channel safely.

His wand buckled under the pressure and he could feel the enormous heat on the other side of his shield, trying to burn him alive. Pain lanced his body as blisters grew on his skin but he persevered until the Dragon finally took a breather and stopped.

Cedric was on his side in a moment, throwing yet another series of Flame freezing curses at the dragon. He paused and started pulling an exhausted Harry backwards by his hand, simultaneously transfiguring the rocks lying around them into various birds and small animals and guiding them towards the dragon.

They finally reached a large boulder that could keep them safe form the blasts of flames from the Dragon for at least a few minutes.

This was how they found themselves in their current position.

"That dragon isn't a tame one by any stretch of the word." said Harry.

Cedric nodded. "We need a plan."

"Fucker. Fucker. Fucker. Fucker." Harry murmured in his breath.

"Who?" asked Cedric.

"All of them." Harry scowled. "Fucking Bagman. Fucking Fudge. Fucking Voldemort, who I am sure had _everything_ to do with my name in the goblet."

Cedric's eyes widened comically. "Volde-…Vol…You-Know-Who is alive?"

Harry paused. "No. Not alive. He is just not fully dead. A small ugly monstrous child who is trying to gain his body back somehow."

"Ho-How do you know this?"

"Bastard has some connection with me." said Harry pointing to his scar. "Sends me nightmares sometimes."

Cedric had no answer to that and Harry just rested his head on the rock to get a little rest.

And then a blast of fire made it shudder.

"Fucker. This dragon as well."

**~X~X~X~**

"Miss Monreau seems to be trying to weave some kind of spell to disorient the angry dragon while trying to dodge its attacks simultaneously. She isn't having much success in either of her tasks. I wonder when Miss Delacour, who is currently lounging and eying Miss Monreau with a cruel and evil smirk, is going to help the poor girl. Oh dear, she seems to be crying now…Miss Monreau that is. Miss Delacour is just yawning."

**~X~X~X~**

"We need a plan." Cedric said, putting You-Know-Who off his mind for now and concentrating on the dragon.

"Yeah. We do." agreed Harry.

"So…?"

"So…?"

"Yeah…so?"

"What? You are the seventh year here, the _real_ Hogwarts champion. You should think of something."

"Hey, I didn't commission those badges." said Cedric indignantly.

"Whatever." dismissed Harry with a wave of his hand. "I didn't mean it like that. We have to…"

They both jumped apart as their hideout finally gave up and the rock exploded outwards.

**~X~X~X~**

Nicole was crying.

Her eyes stung as she ran around from the monster like a three year child runs from her mother, that the mother isn't interested in eating the child is another matter entirely. It wasn't only due to the dust particles which were making her sneeze every now and then but also because of her shattering pride and a few of her bones.

Her body was aching top to bottom and she was sure to drop anytime now. Then the dragon would eat her savoring each and every drop of her blood.

And _she_ wouldn't lift a finger, _she_ had said.

She had tried every damn spell she knew. Fire, water, wind, earth, anything and everything, but she was _weak_, plain and simple. She wasn't like Delacour. She couldn't do just _anything_ while lazing around. She had even tried that sleep spell Maxime had asked them to learn for some reason, but it wasn't working. Not when the dragon wasn't letting her stay still for more than ten seconds at a time.

She knew what she had to do.

She had no option but to swallow her pride and beg her enemy. Merlin, how she hated her for this.

Making up her mind, she turned around and ran towards the Veela who had a wide smile on her beautiful face. She absolutely knew what was happening.

"Please" Nicole said kneeling down in front of her as she gasped for breath. "Please help me."

Fleur's smirk, if anything, grew bigger. "What? I can't hear you."

"Please" Nicole shouted. "I am sorry. Please help me or I will die."

The dragon threw his leg on the ground, creating ripples in the earth, frightening the frightened girl even more.

Fleur thought for a bit. "Really? You are begging me? Me, a whore according to you, if I am correctly recalling?"

Nicole nodded glumly. "Sorry. I am sorry. I'll do whatever you want. Please save me."

Fleur nodded and Nicole relaxed but it wasn't so easy.

"Wait" Fleur said pointing her wand at Nicole. "_Sonorus_. Again. Beg me again."

Nicole glared hatefully at the vengeful girl and saw nothing but loathing reflected in her eyes. Another blast of fire shook the shield Fleur was lazily holding up, keeping them safe. "FINE. I AM SORRY. I BEG YOU. SAVE ME FROM THIS DRAGON."

Fleur appeared deep in thought. "Say you are a potato."

Nicole sighed.

"I AM POTATO. EVERYONE HERE IT. I AM A POTATO. MY NAME IS POTATO MONREAU. POTATO. POTATO. POTATO. OKAY NOW, HAPPY? I AM A VERY VERY FAT POTATO. SAVE ME NOW, YOU…"

Fleur raised an eyebrow.

"…MY DEAR. PLEASE." Nicole finished lamely as Fleur cancelled the charm on her. "Happy?"

Fleur nodded happily and stretched herself. "Very."

**~X~X~X~**

Harry glanced at his side as the dragon rammed its tail in him once again and followed with a gout of flame. He quickly rolled to the side this time instead of using his shield. He'll be sporting a lot of holes on his body if he survived this.

Cedric managed to take its attention away once again for some time.

They were doing pretty good as a team at the moment. They had decided to attack the dragon together from both sides. This way, one could hold onto it while the other recovered from an attack from the beast itself.

Harry looked through the transparent shield on his one side as he heard 'Potato' frantically declaring to everyone that she really was a Potato. He saw her kneeling in front of a very comfortable Fleur and sighed, amused at Fleur's antics as he understood everything happening there in a second.

It was exactly what she would do in a situation like this.

She finally stood up and walked calmly towards the Dragon.

Every head in the stadium except the two Durmstrang champions who had finally managed to maim their dragon with a well aimed conjunctivitis curse looked at her as she progressed.

There she stood before the scariest Dragon of the lot, whose image was enough for a grown up to piss in his pants, without any fear in her eyes and an extremely lazy stance.

Despite his situation, Harry was again hit with a wave of euphoria as he once more realized just how beautiful she was.

That euphoria evaporated as the huge black lizard opened her mouth and a great stream of pure raging hot fire rained on Fleur with an enormous velocity and she did…

…she did absolutely _nothing_ to stop it.

The fire enveloped her entire form and she didn't even try to defend herself.

"FLEUR" Harry screamed and ran towards her, colliding against the invisible wards, even as he knew that he could do absolutely nothing to save her.

The entire stadium quieted. Not a man or a woman dared to even draw a breath as they faced the result of their actions…their fun and saw a beast burning an innocent girl, alive.

Tears of rage and frustration and sadness fell from Harry's eyes as he saw the girl he had come to care for, _more_ than care for, burn in front of him. And he couldn't do a thing to save her.

Once again, Cedric shouted his name to warn him as he was picked up by the dragon's tail and smashed back in the wall but Harry didn't care. A few of his ribs cracked but he didn't care.

Fleur was no more.

Fleur was dead.

Fleur was…

And then the crowd roared.

The Hungarian Horntail had stopped throwing out his burning flames and was looking down at something with an oddly 'curious' look on her face. The dragon itself was bewildered by what she saw.

Harry looked down and his mouth fell open.

Their stood a Goddess. Covered from head to toe in fire and fire alone, Fleur was nothing less than that. He could see her still lazy stance and the perpetual smirk on her face. She was unmistakably, undoubtedly, his Fleur.

And she was covered in Fire.

And it wasn't hurting her.

What the hell?

His eyes only widened more as Fleur raised her hands and slowly raised herself from the ground. She was hovering above the earth.

No, she was flying.

With a sudden boost, she blasted herself up and flew into the air, whooping with joy. The flames left her trails behind her as she circled the still bewildered dragon once, twice and again.

The audience gawked and clapped and whistled.

The dragon finally came out of her stupor and fired more fire at Fleur and she intentionally allowed the flames to wash over her as if they energized her further.

When the Dragon saw no effect on her nemesis, she roared an unholy cry and started snapping her jaws at Fleur but she dodged her teeth without a care in the world and threw her own fireballs inside the nose of the dragon, instead of its mouth. Due to the close range, this one definitely hurt and the Dragon howled with pain.

"Harry…help here." Cedric shouted, breaking Harry from his show as he turned towards the bruised and tired Hufflepuff, who was now transfiguring dogs and crows and cats frantically to keep their Dragon occupied.

Harry stood up with a new determination and wiped his dried tears away. "Coming Partner."

**~X~X~X~**

"How the hell is she doing it? My, my, what magic is this? I haven't seen anything like this in years of my being in the Wizarding World. Ever. This girl is something else entirely. But let's not forget the others too. Krum has finally succeeded in completely blinding the dragon and Dumrov himself looks in bad shape. But do not stop Durmstrang. You have to bring the dragon down. Yes, they are shooting some dark curses there…but no unforgivables, remember. And what is Miss Delacour doing now…"

**~X~X~X~**

"Now. Listen Cedric. I have a plan." said Harry.

"What is it?"

"Just trust me on this."

**~X~X~X~**

Fleur hovered in the air in front of the vicious and angry dragon. She had been blasting the nose of the beast for quite some time now. The dragons were resistant to fire for the most part, but their noses, not so much. In fact, the oxygen they needed to breathe made it much more painful if the flames reached their insides, to the internal organs, past the glands in their throats that produced fire.

It had been fun but now it was getting boring and all the howls were getting to her ears.

It was time to finish it.

She concentrated, while dodging the occasional tail or wing, and produced a small fireball in her hands. She threw her energy into it as it grew larger and larger until it was double the size of the dragon's head.

With a final effort on her part, she flew towards the dragon and threw the huge fireball in her nose with all her strength.

The dragon howled with pain and one of its wings finally connected with her, throwing her to the ground forcefully.

Her own fire died down and she groaned painfully as something cracked. "Oops."

Half the audience groaned too, as they were hoping to see her assets after she would have dispelled the flames covering her body, but to their disappointment, her clothes were perfectly unharmed as she got herself up.

She had charmed her clothes beforehand knowing male psychology.

The dragon came down with a large thud.

The Chinese fireball howled as it was subjected to several dark cutting and slashing curses again and again.

Finally, it too gave up and came down with another thud.

Meanwhile, our hero was desperately praying that Dumbledore hadn't fucked him over as he threw waves of water at the resilient and irritating Dragon. It was just a normal _augumenti _charm, boosted with the power of the Hogwarts ley lines.

"NOW" He shouted at Cedric who was standing behind the Dragon at Harry's urging.

Harry stopped the water spell, and with all his might and the help of the Hogwarts wards, cast a full blown banisher at the ground below.

He was propelled with the speed of a cannon and shot towards the head of the dragon, missing it with just a foot.

"_Wingardium Leviosa." _ Cedric intoned from below and caught Harry in his spell.

And then, he gently lowered the younger boy on the Dragon's back, releasing the spell.

The audience watched with baited breath as the Boy-Who-Lived grasped one of the dragon's scales and hung on its back.

Slowly, but steadily, Harry started climbing to the top of the dragon, pulling himself one step at a time. The Dragon was entirely unaware of his whereabouts as it looked from side to side trying to spot him or Cedric, who had cast a very poor disillusionment charm on himself and hidden somewhere by now.

Harry finally reached the top of the dragon's head and the dragon finally realized that something was crawling on him. It started shaking its head and howling like mad but Harry clenched his teeth and held for dear life.

He closed his eyes and thought back to that fight two years ago when he had slain Slytherin's basilisk with a single sword. That sword was special. Only a true Gryffindor could pull it out of the Sorting Hat and lift it.

Harry had no sorting hat as of that moment but he was still a Gryffindor. A true Gryffindor. Since he really was enjoying and partaking in this insanity now, as reflected in his crazed grin, even as the dragon kept trying to dislodge him from its head.

'_Come to me, baby. Come to me. Hey Sword. I am _the_ true Gryffindor. You can see it. You know it. Come to me damn it. I swear, Godric Gryffindor, I will haunt you in afterlife eternally if that blasted sword of yours isn't in my hands in three seconds. Come baby. Come to Papa.'_

Harry's eyes widened and crazy laughter bubbled from him as the sword really appeared in one of his hands at the count of three. The blade was fashioned from pure silver and inset with rubies, the stone with Gryffindor's color, and Godric Gryffindor's name was engraved just beneath the hilt.

Harry grinned maniacally and wielded the sword in one hand, showing it to the entire stadium full of idiots who were called humans.

Pulling himself up a little with one hand, he thrust the blade in one of the dragon's eyes viciously. The dragon howled in pain as the venom imbued sword cut through him. It shook his head madly and Harry lost his balance as he fell forward but managed to maintain his grip on the hilt of the sword. He looked the angry dragon in his other eye as he dangled from the one he had pierced.

Again relying on only one of his hands to grip the sword, Harry took his wand in his other hand and intoned, _"Hasta Telum"_ .

A spear from his wand pierced the other eye of the Dragon as well and it screeched, throwing more gouts of fire in its pain and madness.

Another two spears entered through its nose as Harry rested safely on its own snout now. He managed to take the sword out and land the last blow of the sword through it's snout with his own roar of victory.

Every man, woman, and child in the stadium watched as Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived slew a dragon in front of their very eyes.

The dragon slowly fell to the ground and stilled, the poison of the sword working on it along with the many injuries Harry had inflicted.

Harry jumped down tiredly and looked at the dead beast in sorrow, the crazed glint fading from his eyes. "Sorry, my friend. It was either you or me. And I prefer me for now."

Cedric came up behind him with a tired and grim face, putting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"Cedric, that's why people think you are gay." said Harry with a faint smile.

Cedric snorted. "Don't get a big head, Potter. Even if I were gay, you wouldn't be my type."

"Yes, yes, I know. Let me tell…Dumbledore, right? Or better yet, Snape?"

Cedric gagged as if he was about to vomit. "Thanks for putting that image in my head, you bastard."

Harry chuckled. "Now, that's what a manly man says."

"Yeah. Yeah. Now come on, we aren't done." said Cedric, motioning to a door shaped hole that was now visible to take them to the next level.

Harry just sighed and put his sword on his shoulder.

**~X~X~X~**

"And all the six champions have now entered the next level. Miss Delacour even managed to bring the reluctant Miss Monreau with her forcefully. Here they are, my friends. Better than dragons. More vicious, more scary and more spectacular. The superior…"

Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing and his urge to kill the organizers of this event increased further.

"…Chimeras."

There were two in total. One clearly a male and the other a female. Mainly the front part was that of a lion or a lioness but the midsection had some properties of a goat as well, a head with two large horns protruding out of its back. The tail _was_ a large ten feet snake that was looking over the other two heads and hissing maliciously.

"Ssstupid humansssssss, come here to die…"

"Food…tasssty flesh, humanssss are tasssty. It hasss beeen a long time sssince we ate one."

Harry understood what they were saying quite clearly.

The vicious blood thirsty creatures were circling the inner segment of the arena, clearly intent on killing anyone who might want to cross the boundary to the other side.

Harry looked around and his eyes met with Fleur who smiled at him. Even she looked a little pale at the display.

Harry motioned for her to come to his side and she nodded immediately.

She slowly made her way towards him, not daring to move any closer to the two beasts. Potato followed her grudgingly. To Harry's surprise, Krum and Dumrov edged closer to them as well.

As Fleur reached him, he took her in a hug without any hesitation. To his vast relief, she returned it without any unease on her part and wrapped her arms around him.

"I was worried." he murmured in her shoulder. "You were fried."

She chuckled.

"I didn't know you could fly." he said, maintaining his hold on her for a little longer.

"I am Veela, 'Arry. We throw fireballz in our other form."

"All Veela can do what you did?" he asked.

"We can absorb fire. So yes, eef you throw a Veela in front of a Dragon, we can do eet. But fire iz required first." she explained patiently.

Harry sighed. "I am glad."

He finally pulled apart reluctantly and grinned at her. "You were smokin' by the way."

Fleur smiled. "Thank you."

"Ahem…" someone interrupted. "If your reunion is complete, we might as well discuss what to do now."

Harry wondered if it was possible to peel a Potato with a Sword.

"Oui" Fleur sighed. "You did sooooo very much back there in front of ze dragon."

Potato flushed and fumed but quieted.

Harry turned to the two Durmstrang champions and raised his eyebrows.

Dumrov had faired the worse of the two. His shirt was in tatters and blood was seeping from the various cuts on his chest. A part of his face was scorched badly and one of his eyes was swollen. He was also nursing one of his shoulders which seemed to have been broken or disjoint. Even with all the thrashing he had been through, he looked more on the angry side than cowed. Krum, on the other hand, looked much like he had seen him in the tent except that he had a limp in his step.

Krum spoke. "Wee theenk that wee shooold work together on theese one."

Cedric agreed instantaneously. "Yeah. You go first. We will follow. Best of luck."

Krum shook his head. "I meeeen-"

Harry stopped him midway to stop the butchering of English in such a way. "We understood. We agree."

Harry turned to Cedric and raised his eyebrows questioningly. He just couldn't do one of them even now.

Cedric reddened. "Er…they know dark curses. I thought they could…you know, wear them out."

"And die in the process." Harry completed in a whisper with a scowl.

Cedric shrugged.

"You are a Hufflepuff, Cedric."

"Hey-"

"Besides" Fleur interjected. "Chimeras are immortal creatures."

"How do you know?" Cedric asked her, his eyes widening slightly.

"She is just great, believe me. She knows everything." said Harry.

Fleur snorted. "Thank you, 'Arry. I am flattered zat you zink of me like that."

_Oh, Fleur. You don't know just how much I think of you…_

"Chimera" Potato shouted.

_Irritating_ _girl._

"Yes. Chimera." said Harry. "Plans?"

Nobody said anything.

Harry sighed. "How exactly are they immortal?" he asked Fleur.

"They 'ave very 'igh regeneration abilities." she answered. "And eet iz very difficult to best them."

"Do they have any weaknesses?"

"I do not know 'Arry. Zere izn't a lot known about theze creatures."

"I think we should just attack…" said Cedric. "Its creepy how they are looking at us."

Harry turned and saw that Cedric was right. It seemed that the Chimeras were quickly getting on the verge of loosing their patience.

"I think we don't have any choice guys." said Harry gravely. "We don't know what exactly they are capable of. Just…just give your best. And I think we should-"

Before Harry could complete his sentence, Dumrov, sick and tired of everything, let loose a dark cutting curse towards the female Chimera who let a roar of anger as blood splattered from the large gash on her neck.

Krum, following his example, sent a curse at the other one who dodged with surprising agility for such a large creature and the battle finally started.

Harry's eyes widened as the large wound on Femara slowly knitted back and sealed itself. The wound slowly filled up and not even a scar remained. The Memara on the other hand, was running angrily towards a quickly backing Krum.

"_Ramus segestre" _Fleur cried pointing her wand at the Memara in a bid to save Krum from his fate.

Large vines sprouted out of the ground and wrapped themselves around the snarling creature in an effort to slow him down. The Memara gnashed his teeth cutting into them with ease but Fleur didn't let up, and new vines took their place at an amazing pace.

Meanwhile, the Femara had completely recovered by then. She opened her mouth, seeing her mate in trouble, and Harry's eyes widened as a bolt of lightning came out and struck Fleur head on.

The Veela screamed and fell down as shock went through each and every cell of her body.

Hot rage fuelled through Harry's veins as he glared at the creature with a hatred he had never ever felt before for anything living and went down to help Fleur up.

"Nicole, Cedric, cover." he shouted at the other two champions.

Cedric immediately sent a reductor at the femara while Nicole took control of the vines Fleur had created and which were now almost completely ripped apart by the Mimera, trying to stop him with little success.

Fleur was shaking uncontrollably on the ground as Harry took her head in his lap and tried to bring her back. "Fleur, come on, don't you dare die on me now. Get up."

Another bolt of lightning raced towards them but Harry was ready this time. Amplifying his magic with the help of Hogwarts wards, Harry created a solid _reflecting_ shield this time and grunted as the lightning energy connected with it. With an enormous effort on his part, he managed to keep his shield up as the lightning raced back towards the surprised Femara who tried to dodge at the last second but howled as it connected with the head of the goat on its back.

"Fleur, get up. Control yourself." said Harry, panting for breath, and threw a spray of water at her for good measure.

A loud blood curdling scream filled the arena and his head automatically turned towards the source. It was Victor Krum.

Nicole was unable to keep the Mimera in check that had made short work of the vines with its teeth and claws. With a short sprint towards the original Durmstrang Champion, the Mimera had tore into one of his legs viciously and the smell of blood and gore filled the air as chunks of his flesh flew in the air and dropped to the ground.

Nicole screamed as she saw Victor Krum being brutally razed in front of her.

Cedric was the first one to act as he shouted _"Accio Victor Krum"_ and Krum's screaming form flew towards him like a bullet, minus both of his legs.

Harry was speechless.

"'Ar-Arry. 'Arry. 'Arry." He finally heard her tired voice and looked down. "'elp me up." she said weakly and Harry promptly threw up on her.

Fleur wrinkled her nose in disgust and waved her wand to clean herself and Harry first, before getting up on her own.

She looked at Krum's screaming form near Cedric with wide eyes, who had a confused and terrified look on his face as if he had no clue what to do now, and stood up unsteadily.

The Mimera was eating Krum's legs with relish while the Fimera was slowly getting up once again.

Harry looked around and noticed that something, or rather someone, was missing.

"Where is Dumrov?" he asked no one in particular. "Where is Dumrov?"

"He went…" came Nicole's voice from beside him.

"What?" Harry shouted.

"He went inside." she repeated.

"That bastard." fumed Harry but he couldn't do anything else. The coward had left them behind and taken the easiest route when they were all busy tackling the two beasts. He hoped there was something much better on the other side.

Fleur had by now stunned Krum and was working on giving him some rudimentary healing that would hopefully let him live for some more time.

Harry saw as the Fimera got up and stood up himself. A sword in one of his hands and the wand in another, he faced the beast with nothing but determination in his heart. He had already slain one beast today. One more would be good for his ego.

The female Chimera growled and ran towards him, much more dangerous than a lioness could ever hope to be.

Harry raised his wand and roared, _"Hasta glacius telum"._

It was a variation of the curse he had used on the dragon. A single spear made of pure ice came from his wand and raced towards the snarling Chimera.

It dodged.

Seven more spears launched out of Harry's wand but the damningly agile beast dodged each and every one of them.

Harry's eyes grew large in horror as the beast finally took and pounced on him. His hand automatically tightened around the hilt of the sword and he swung it in front of him in a wide arc with all his might, hoping against hope for his luck to hold.

The immortal Beast and the great Sword collided in a display of power and the human watched amazed as the sword sliced through the beast, cutting it in two.

The female Chimera was sliced in half – a half lion and a half goat with a snake hissing venomously on its back - and both the parts landed just before Harry, as he took a step back.

"_Duratus Congelo"_

Harry heard Fleur's voice just before something hard and extremely heavy rammed into him from behind and sent him sprawling forward. He avoided landing his own neck on the sword by a centimeter and fell on his stomach as that something hard and extremely heavy thing fell on his back.

It was extremely cold as well.

"Fuck" Harry wheezed. "What is it?"

The weight was slowly removed from his back as Cedric answered. "The male Chimera. It was attacking you from behind. Fleur froze it."

Harry chuckled. "Probably angry that I killed his wife."

"No." Fleur said and Harry finally got up and turned to her. There it was, the frozen Mimera, with his jaws wide open ready to cut into him and tear him to pieces if Fleur was just a second late. She was still holding the spell somehow, even as she spoke. "They are immortals. And I cannot 'old zis for long."

"But I cut her-" Harry started but he took a step back as he saw what was in front of her.

The two sliced parts of the Fimera were slowly, but definitely, moving towards each other and simultaneously arranging themselves to reattach.

"God" Harry breathed. "We have to move."

"But how do we know what's on the other side?" asked Nicole. "What if it's something worse?"

Cedric snorted. "It definitely is. Might as well be a Nundu this time."

"We 'ave no choice" said Fleur, groaning due to the effort she was putting in the spell. "The task izn't over yet."

"Fleur is right. We have to move." decided Harry.

Everyone agreed this time as they saw that the Fimera was rapidly attaching itself back now.

Cedric levitated Krum's prone form in front of him and entered first. Then Nicole. Harry slowly guided Fleur by the hand towards the entrance as she held the spell on the frozen Chimera.

"Now" He shouted just as Fleur released her spell and they both jumped through the wards. A second later, the male Chimera crashed into those same wards with a deadly force.

No one noticed that the commentator and the audience were unusually quiet.

**~X~X~X~**

Vlad Dumrov was dead.

That much was clear as they saw his remains in front of them. Only one of his arms and a little of his head was left as the last beast savored its food with obvious relish and delight.

Nicole Monreau had fainted as soon as she had entered, not even entertaining the thought that they could defeat this monstrosity.

Cedric was again gaping like a fish, much like he had done in the tent. And soon retching like Harry did a few minutes ago.

Fleur had a grim look on her face.

And Harry. Harry Potter…was smiling. No, he was chuckling. No. no. no. He was having a full blown laughter. He was bloody hysterical.

Fleur and Cedric turned to him with wide eyes. _Everyone_ turned to him with wide eyes.

Harry Potter had gone mad.

Or he had just seen that he would live.

Putting his wand on his throat, Harry muttered "_Sonorus"._

"HAGRID, I LOVE YOU."

After that proclamation to his half-giant friend, he cancelled the charm.

Cedric shook him by the shoulders after removing his vomit by the back of his hand. He was already too dirty to think of hygiene now. "Harry, don't go insane on us now please. Dumrov died. He died. He _died_. D. I. E. D. And we will too, soon. Why are you laughing?"

Harry continued his laughter until the entity in front of them finally turned towards them and all three of its heads growled dangerously.

Harry Potter waved. "Fluffy."

Fleur sighed. "You know zis Cerberus, right?"

Harry nodded merrily.

"You know how to defeat it?" asked Cedric hopefully.

Harry nodded again.

"How?" he asked.

"Fleur has to sing a sooooonggggg…" he said, in a singing voice.

"What?" Fleur asked incredulously.

"That's the only way. He likes music. He will sleep if you sing to him. Tada."

"Really?" Cedric asked skeptically.

Harry nodded happily and turned to Fleur. "Sing na Fleur." He said childishly even as the huge three headed dog prepared to attack them, snapping its jaws. "You have a beautiful voice. Please sing for us, Flower."

Fleur narrowed her eyes. "What did you call me?"

"Flooooweer." Harry sang. He had really gone round the bend with happiness this time. He would feel bad later that one of them had died and he had all but celebrated his death but that could wait. He was too sure now that he would live through this mess and come out whole. Thank Merlin for that. "My Fleur. My Flower. My lovely-"

"It is coming." Cedric yelled. "Fleur, sing."

Fleur glared at Harry but acquiesced after casting the amplifying charm on her throat.

And Harry's heart filled with flowers.

He didn't understand a word of what she was spouting, as it was all French, but it was so, so, sweet. It was beautiful. Her voice had a quality to it that he had seldom heard anywhere else. Enough to put a smile on even the most loathed dark lord's face on the planet.

It was better than what Fawkes did. Period.

It was peaceful, eternal and just…awesome. He so desperately wished he had at least a hint of what she was singing but he came up empty handed. He only knew that something called 'amour' came again and again in the song. What the hell is an amour? First thing first, check the library for French reference books after all this is over.

And then Fluffy was sleeping on the ground. Thankfully.

Harry saw as a shield rose up from somewhere where the dog was standing before. And a blur passed from his side.

Nicole was running towards the shield with full sprint.

"_Petrificus Totalis_" shouted Harry before he knew what he was doing, already on her tail but the girl dodged and continued forward. He was well aware that Cedric and Fleur were following him at a quick pace but he didn't turn around to catch up with them, throwing a couple of more hexes at the irritation in front of him, who dodged again.

Harry knew that he was the best runner amongst all the champions due the courtesy of one Dudley Dursley who had trained him well since his childhood. Thus he put all his effort into overcoming the French piece of shit and grabbing the shield first.

It wasn't easy though. His legs were hurting. He was very sure that a few of his bones were at the least cracked. And he was tired. So goddamn tired. But he pushed. He pushed himself harder than he had up until that point.

"_Somnus Lento_" Nicole shouted, turning around and aiming her wand at Harry who whirled on the spot, dodging the sleep spell Fleur had taught him. This particular spell was a tacky one. It was dissimilar to the stunner in many ways. The downside being that it would only disorient the victim for the first ten seconds or so and then sleep would claim him or her. The upside was that you couldn't revive the victim with a simple _rennervate _which was usually done in the case of the stunning spell. The spell must wear off itself. _"Somnus Lento"_

He heard a crash but didn't stop to see which one of his companions had fallen to the spell.

Harry gritted his teeth in annoyance as his aching muscles protested as he pushed them faster and faster but he wasn't going to let all his effort go to waste because of one stupid bimbo.

"_Stupefy", "Stupefy", "Stupefy", _Harry shot at her, again and again but failed to hit her even once. It was as if she had a spell on her that gave her a couple of eyes on her back as well. "Stop it, you dumb girl!"

'Just a little more, Just a little more, Just a little more', he kept saying in his head, trying to outrun Nicole. 'yes, yes, yes…'

"Aaaaaaah" Nicole screamed as Harry finally caught up with her and yanked on her hair viciously. "Let go…"

"No…that shield is mine." Harry snapped, pulling harder, even as the determined girl continued to drag herself forward while shrieking in pain.

"Non, non, non, I will win…" she said, turning around and trying to punch him in the face, what he dodged, or just scratching his face like a wild cat, what he couldn't.

Harry growled as she managed to slip from his grip but tackled her again by jumping on her back and wrestling her to the ground.

Nicole grunted in pain as her head smacked the ground with Harry putting all his weight on her from behind her.

He stood up unsteadily and kicked her in the ribs twice, making sure she wouldn't stand up again, and moved forward towards the glimmering shield with a victorious smile.

Laughing internally at the thought that he was about to win this thing even without putting his name in the Goblet, Harry reached forward and touched his prize just as he turned his head to look behind him.

Then, three things happened simultaneously.

First, his smile was washed off his face as he saw Fleur lying on the ground with Cedric on her side. He had thought that Cedric had taken Nicole's spell and Fleur must have dodged but he realized that he must have been mistaken.

Second, he saw that Nicole's head was up in her prone position and she was glaring at him hatefully, even as her wand shot a spell at him which he knew he couldn't dodge at this range.

Third, just as Nicole's spell touched him in the belly, Harry felt an unwelcome tug on his navel and darkness surrounded him.

_What the fuck? _was his last thought before Harry Potter was whisked away from the arena, leaving a gaping audience and a sleeping Veela behind.

* * *

_Huh...Review this one at least. I am tired._

_Who all saw that coming btw?_


	11. Rise Of The Lord

**AN: Thank you for your support everyone. Rating upped to M. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Ch 11: Rise of The Lord**

It is often said that life can become difficult if you try to achieve too much instead of the initial goal you had set up for yourself at the beginning.

Harry understood what it meant now.

* * *

Fleur opened her eyes with a snap and sat up.

Memories of the day rushed to her head in an instant leading her to palm her face shamefully. Morgana, she had allowed Potato to best her. After humiliating the bitch in front of the entire stadium and taking a ridiculous amount of perverse pleasure in doing so, she had allowed herself to be taken down by that same bitch. How…there were just no words to describe this.

Sighing regretfully, she looked around herself, trying to determine where she sat. It must have been some time before she had gained her consciousness. This particular sleep spell was difficult to perform and required extreme concentration, that's why Potato wasn't able to do much of anything with it to the Dragon. She, however, was a human and the jealous witch was prepared.

She guessed it was the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. She had spent much time here with Harry in the past weeks.

Her back straightened.

Harry!

Potato might not have won it after all. She remembered Harry chasing the girl, trying to outrun her to the shield. He might have won instead. Why was she alone here anyway? She had thought after taking care of Harry so much, at least he would be there with her when she got up.

For some reason, she was getting a bad feeling out of this.

Her bed was covered on all sides by tarpaulin, blocking her view of the outside, though she could hear an array of voices beyond the curtains now if she concentrated.

"-ut how is that possible Dumbledore? Barty Crouch Jr. died in Azkaban." an angry voice spluttered.

"I assure you Cornelius, he is the same one. This was Lord Voldemort's plan-"

"Enough! I have heard that nonsense from you enough times. You-Know-Who is dead."

"He might be, for now. But he won't be dead for long if we don't hurry. This man might know something that can help us-"

"Ahem! Ahem!" A woman cleared her throat and spoke in a sugary voice that even Fleur could tell dripped with scorn. "If I may, Minister. Headmaster Dumbledore seems to be in the misconception that he is in authority to interrogate a subject of the Ministry, which is clearly not the case here. I suggest we finish off the work with the Dementors here without any delay and make our way for the meeting with Lord Malfoy."

"Yes. Yes, Dolores. You are, of course, correct. We shall give the kiss to the prisoner right away."

"No!" Dumbledore's voice wasn't calm anymore. "This is my school Cornelius. I won't jeopardize the morals of this great institution. Those monsters will leave immediately or-"

"Or what, Headmaster? Are you threatening the Minister? If that is the case, it might be necessary to charge you with treason as soon as possible."

_What in Adelard's name was happening here?_, Fleur wondered. Cornelius most certainly seemed to be that fat fudge of the English Minister. The woman might be one of his lackeys in power of authority if she was challenging Albus Dumbledore of all people in his own school. Fleur thought it was interesting how these English worked.

"I might be, Madam Umbridge. One of my students is abducted-"

"There is no proof that Harry Potter has been kidnapped."

An involuntary gasp echoed out of her throat as she heard this simple sentence. This wasn't interesting anymore. Kidnapped. By that evil dark lord?

Fleur shook her head.

She looked around for her wand and found it at her bedside. She quickly swung her legs around and stood up, calmly walking through the tarpaulin to confront the pink toad who stood before her now.

A fat man with a green bowler hat and a tall wizard with an equally tall beard stood with this short pink human shaped toad mentioned previously. Another man was sat on his knees surrounded by two horrid cloaked monsters hovering above him separated by the trio of politicians by a strong phoenix patronus guarding them.

Fleur walked straight towards the Headmaster who had noticed her approach by now.

"What 'appened?" she asked him pointedly, ignoring any other necessities.

"Miss Delacour-", started the venerable old man in a sad voice.

"Ahem! Ahem!" Fleur sighed at the interruption. "The English Ministry of Magic is not answerable to a French half-breed like you, Miss Delacour. You should learn not to interrupt your betters or it might-"

"_Stupefy. Stupefy." _ The English Minister and the toady collapsed, just as Fleur turned to Albus Dumbledore with blazing blue eyes and positively growled. "What. Happened? Where. is. Harry. Potter?"

Albus quickly ascertained the situation and realized that it was better this way. Now, if only those birdy features on Miss Delacour were to disappear…

**~X~X~X~X~**

Pain.

He wasn't a stranger to this word. But this was getting a little too weird.

Usually, he at least awoke fit and whole and then, as the dooms day wore off, he would gradually start feeling cracks and cramps all over his body. This time though, it seemed all his nerve endings were chopped, coated with extra olive oil and then fried to a crisp even before he was all awake.

His eyes snapped open and a gut wrenching scream tore off from his raw throat.

Slowly, breath by breath, the pain ebbed to a bearable degree where the occasional grunts, gasps and the continuous tears would suffice.

Someone slapped him hard across the cheek and pulled on his hair tightly.

A face slowly came into view, lifting the fog of dimness on his brain in a snap and another scream echoed in the silent atmosphere. This time, it was of rage, of betrayal.

Peter Pettigrew.

The rat had surprised him by coming out of nowhere to attack him as soon as he had landed out of the unexpected portkey. He was already dizzy due to that damn spell from that damn girl and dodging one stunner was all he could do in that state. That wasn't a problem for his abductor though as Harry soon got another stunner in the face and he knew no more.

Now, he was being woken up, tied up in a bundle of ropes with pain lancing all over his body and especially concentrated somewhere in his head, namely his scar. Blood was slowing oozing out of his head from a long gash somewhere. Blah…

"Fucker." Harry spat. "I thought you hid in a rat hole somewhere after your pathetic whining that day."

The man just looked at him like a coward as Harry glared at him hatefully. Or so he thought.

Another slap echoed in the silence and once more, his head was jerked up forcefully from his hair. He could see a malice filled smile bloom over the traitor's face. "Harry. I am your uncle. Give me some respect. What would Lily say if she hears you talking like this? I am about to send you to her and James, you see."

"Don't take their names from your dirty mouth, you asshole." snarled Harry, trying to break free of his bindings and smash that smile off the rat's face. "Just cut me loose once and _you_ will meet them soon. I won't let you live this time. I will cut your filthy body into small-small pieces and feed them to Hermione's cat, Crookshanks. Remember him…he'd love me for finally supplying him with your rat size remains." Harry finally noticed a flash of fear in Pettigrew's eyes and smirked. "What? Scared Wormtail? I am just getting started here…"

"Enough" a voice hissed from somewhere before Pettigrew could reply. "Enough, Wormtail. Faster. Faster."

Harry's eyes immediately went to the small ugly red baby hiding in a white polybag nearby and he finally deemed it fit to assess his situation, rather than wasting his time in arguing with Wormtail any longer.

He knew that baby was Voldemort.

That was the reason behind the throbbing headache he was suffering from.

Fuck.

"Y-yes. Y-yes, Master." Wormtail whimpered.

It was almost comical to notice how the facial expressions on the man's face changed from glee at Harry's torment to fear at Voldemort's voice in an instant. Harry wondered if this was the power Voldemort kept spouting off whenever he met him. He was sure he would get a long healthy dose of his brand's wisdom this time as well.

_So…_Harry thought, trying and failing to keep himself calm, as Wormtail moved away and he noticed an extra large cauldron lying uselessly in front of him. His first thoughts were that it looked green. On looking around a bit, he gathered that he was tied to a hideous statue of a fallen angel of some kind and that he was surrounded by a plethora of graves. Now, _that _was worrying. Voldemort and graves…not a good combination. Especially when the monster was outside and Harry himself was tied up from head to toe and more than a few of his bones were snapped or at least cracked.

He looked on as Wormtail started filling the Cauldron up to the brim with an awful lot of ingredients after conjuring a large flame beneath it.

_Hmmm…_Harry came to the conclusion that he was obviously kidnapped by Voldemort for some elaborate ritual that would provide him with some semblance of a body if he were to go with the now bubbling Cauldron in front of him and Wormtail throwing the Babymort inside it.

"God, don't make it work. Don't make it work. Don't make it work. Please."

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given…"

_Creepy…_

"Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed…"

A blood curdling scream echoed in the silence as the hand dropped in the Cauldron. Harry's eyes widened to never before seen proportions as he witnessed the rapid flow of blood from the stump which was Wormtail's hand just a few moments ago. Never before in his dreams would he have thought the man capable of doing this...TO HIMSELF.

_Son-of-a-Bitch. You rotten pig…_

Wormtail stood up unsteadily on his legs and wiped away some of his tears by the back of his remaining hand. He looked upwards and met Harry's eyes as if in a challenge to prove that he wasn't a coward anymore. Slowly, he stepped towards him.

No,_ no, no. Don't come here. Don't come here you...no, no, not my hand, not my hand too. Ah..ah, fuck. Whoosh, only a cut Harry. Merlin. Only a teensy beensy scratch…yeah. Yeah._

"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe." Wormtail wheezed and finally dropped on the ground.

_Awwww…shit._

Suddenly, the silence around the eerie graveyard was drowned by the gales of stormy winds and the thunderous roar of the clouds. The blood red color in the Cauldron turned a brilliant blinding white as it started throwing diamond sparks all around. Harry knew in that instant that this one of all the ridiculous schemes of Voldemort had worked.

_So, I might die after all._

For some reason, that one thought brought an absolute calmness in his whirring, dizzying brain which was previously being blasted apart by a thousand thoughts per second. If he were surely to die, then there was obviously no point in fearing Death. And as Wormtail said, he might after all meet Mum and Dad.

A soft sigh inadvertently escaped his lips and he smiled.

Lovely…

From the absolute brightness of the sparkling liquid in the Cauldron, an astoundingly black mist arose. As Harry watched with fascination in his eyes instead of fear and Wormtail groveled beside the Cauldron, the mist slowly gained weight and flesh. Soon, a tall, skeletally thin and completely nude Lord Voldemort was standing before him.

Harry's smile disappeared as he swallowed his own bile back inside.

"Robe me." the cold, snake voice hissed as Wormtail stood up and scurried around to cover his Master.

"Yuck." said Harry casually. "God, your face is horrible but I doubt even Dumbledore could unpetrify himself if you were to open your robe in front of him. And yes, it's that awful."

Lord Voldemort turned towards Harry Potter and smiled.

Now, there were only a few who had seen that one particular smile and lived to carry on the tale. Harry, despite his rather brave thoughts just a few moments ago, felt a chill run down along his spine.

"Ah! Harry. How nice of you to join me here. I see we are both humans now. I remember it not being so when I met you last time. You will taste the pleasure of roaming the lands in that state quite soon. In fact…" Voldemort raised his wand as a green light slowly gathered at its tip and Harry gulped. This was it. This was the moment his oh-so-short life would finally end.

Hell, this was happening too fast.

Too fast. Too fast. Too fast. No proper villainous speech. No spouting off your tragic past, great victories and promises of a grand future in front of a long army of evil and corrupt servants ready to serve their wicked, immoral, sinful, foul, vile, dishonorable, depraved, reprobate, villainous, nefarious, vicious, malicious, malevolent, sinister, demonic, devilish, diabolical, fiendish, dark, monstrous, shocking, despicable, atrocious, heinous, odious, contemptible, horrible, execrable, lowdown, dirty badass of a master…

God.

Voldemort looked down and smirked, as if he could read each and every one of Harry's thoughts and was impressed at his vocabulary. With a start, Harry realized that he probably could. Fleur had once told him about such level of mind magic where a superior wizard could unravel the secrets of the lesser wizard's mind only with the aid of a glance or an eye contact without even lifting his wand. He quickly tried to snap his eyes shut but they were now being held tightly by some invisible force that didn't let him.

Harry was quite sure now that he was correct in his initial assumption.

"Yes. You are." Voldemort chuckled.

_You are a dog. _Harry thought, just for the sake of irritating the hideous creature in his last moments but Voldemort deemed the insult too childish to react to and only lowered his wand.

"As per your requests Harry, we will talk soon…I promise. After all, your blood flows in my veins now. You are, in a round about way, my step-father." Harry tried not to gag but it was too much of an effort. Voldemort gave him a thoughtful look and laughed. Harry couldn't see what was so amusing in that vile notion but guessed it was something for Riddle. Then he realized that his laughter wasn't amusing. It was mocking. Although, Harry wasn't quite sure who was being mocked.

"I can do, at least, this much for you. You see, _dad_, my original father was but a lowly muggle. Left my whore of a mother behind to beg, to grovel, in streets. Imagine. The heiress of the Great Salazar Slytherin with the purest of the purest blood left to sell herself in front of ugly old men, just for a piece of bread. She was pregnant, you see…had to feed her son."

Voldemort paused for a moment and turned as if to gather his thoughts or pondering some great secret of the universe. Then he spoke, and his voice had an oddly inquisitive tone to it. For an instant, Harry thought he could almost compare it to Dumbledore's if there wasn't that hissing quality to it.

"I don't get it Harry." the Dark Lord continued in a thoughtful tone. "Why do mothers always go to such lengths to protect their offspring? Your mother could have lived. I gave her the option, you see. I told her to stand aside and let me finish you off. I gave her my word that I would grant her life if she would let me kill you. I would have kept my word…but she refused. She cried and begged and asked for mercy, not for herself but for you, and she refused to budge even as I pushed her away from your crib…I gave her the option to live. And she refused. Why? She could have conceived again. She could have lived a full life. I have no doubt now that she willfully, knowingly died that night. I don't understand why…"

With each sentence, Harry's eyes were widening even as he blinked rapidly, now that Voldemort had lifted whatever spell he had put on his eyelids.

"And _my_ mother…yes, she was a mother too though she never even saw my face. She had no reason to live. No reason to give me birth. She could have just died and finished herself off. She _should_ have killed my bastard father for what he did to her first though, for not accepting her…for not accepting me. But she carried on, lived like filth, scum, like a bitch, but ultimately gave _me_ her life…willingly. For _me._" And then Voldemort started laughing. Long hysterical laughter came out of his snakish lips as if he had read the greatest jokes of all.

Then he snarled. "I hate my father. For not doing what was right, for not doing his duty towards me…it wasn't my fault that he was cheated, was it? But I hate her more. I hate her so much more. If only she was alive, I would have inflicted such misery on her that no mother would ever _think _of doing what she did. No mother would ever leave her son in an orphanage in care of old women who could not provide a lonely child with any semblance of a mother's love. In care of bullies who preferred torture of a six-year old as a better past time than anything else…"

Harry just remained still as a statue, not daring to breathe lest Voldemort change his decision and finish him off in a snap.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Voldemort came out of his trance and shook his head. "Ah! Its rare I get so sentimental, Harry Potter. Emotions. Not my cup of tea. You are the only privileged one to learn this much…never mind, you will die soon."

Harry wanted to point out that an astonished Wormtail was standing only a little farther away but the rat's life was important for Sirius' freedom. Damn you, Sirius.

Voldemort, unaware of his thoughts this time, continued. "But for now, let us invite some more of our friends for the party. It is getting rather lonely here, isn't it?"

Harry cautiously asked, "Errr…is my attendance mandatory?"

"_Crucio"_

Now, _that_ was pain. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Knives. Needles. Hell. Oil. Fire. Flame. Fleur. What?

And then the pain was gone as he gasped for air.

"I hope you got your answer."

**~X~X~X~X~**

"The Dark Mark burns again, Albus. He is back." The dark cloaked professor called in a somber albeit urgent voice as the infirmary doors opened with a crash. He looked at the slumped forms of a fat man and a squat woman clad in pink on the floors and dismissed them as unimportant after a glance.

Another lean figure sat tied up in a chair and bound with ropes from head to toe, sneering and grinning alternatively towards the angry looking Veela and the distressed headmaster. As soon as Barty Crouch Jr. heard these words, a triumphant laughter echoed in the wing just followed by a series of sounds which can be heard when human skin collides with more human skin with a great force and pain lances through the tissue where the impact occurs.

"Indeed." said Dumbledore in a grave voice, giving Fleur a look, who was now rubbing her knuckles preparing to smash the imposter's face into a pulp once more. "We have found enough Ms. Delacour. Your interrogation techniques aren't needed any more. And Severus, I suggest you prepare yourself. As soon as we are back with Harry, you must leave to serve your Master. And if I hazard a guess, he won't be in a good mood."

Severus looked at the headmaster and Fleur got the impression that the two men were having a private conversation within their minds to keep her out of the loop. And it was getting highly irritating for her.

Harry might be any condition as of that moment. And he was surely getting worse…

What was so damn important that the headmaster couldn't wait for some more time.

"If you are done 'eadmaster, we must 'urry." said the angry half-veela, at last having had enough.

Snape gave Fleur a venomous look, not having forgotten his insult, which she returned with equal measure. With a final nod towards Dumbledore, the Potions Master departed to make his final preparations before meeting another one of his Masters. He knew he would have to administer a lot of Cruciatus relieving potions for his personal stores in the near future.

"I suppose you are coming then." asked Dumbledore, motioning Fleur towards the doors. For some reason, his twinkle had returned to his eyes.

Fleur just glared at the old man and stalked forward.

**~X~X~X~X~**

"…Lucius, Avery, Crabbe, Goyle, Macnair, my servants, my death eaters, my friends who took the oath to serve me eternally…not one of whom returned to aid their master. Why, I asked myself? And then I answered, perhaps they thought I had taken a momentary leave of absence and they would provide me with a better society when I would inevitably return from quests. So they slipped back amongst my enemies, pleading innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment…"

"Master…"

"_Crucio"_

As Lucius Malfoy's screams echoed around the graveyard, the Lord Voldemort continued in a cold menacing voice. "But then I say, fourteen years is a long time. Why not look for me when they heard the rumors. Then I answer, perhaps they believed my powers broken. Perhaps they believed me defeated. _Me_, the immortal soul."

A great torrent of fire came out of Voldemort's wand in a sudden moment and rushed towards the unsuspecting Death Eaters. They flinched as one but just before the flames could lick their unmasked faces, they stopped. Thin beads of sweat dripped from their skin but they dared not raise their hands to wipe off their foreheads in the fear that their lord would mistake the gesture for something else entirely and punish them. More than he would already. "You thought that there exists a greater power than myself? The one who Gods themselves fear. You thought there exists a greater wizard than Lord Voldemort? Perhaps a champion for Muggles and Mudbloods and half-breeds? Perhaps…Albus Dumbledore."

No one spoke as Voldemort glared at his servants and they all held their collective breaths. Until one voice interrupted the dramatic thrashing.

"Or Harry Potter" said Harry from the side with a snicker that was sure to irritate 'the Lord of Darkness'. He was getting pretty bored after hearing the long evil monologue of the Dark Lord after learning how he killed his family after hearing about his muggle ancestory after learning about his mother herself and so on…

He was in no mood to hear a rant on Albus Dumbledore as well now.

Every head turned towards him and Lucius Malfoy stopped twitching and frothing from his mouth.

"Ah! I almost forgot about our guest of honor here." said Lord Voldemort with a cruel sneer. "You are correct, of course, Harry Potter. After all, you were the one who brought my fall."

Harry smirked. "See everyone…I am better than your current Master. Kill him and you will gain me as the new one. Wanna trade positions, Tom?"

"I see…" said Voldemort, moving a little too close for Harry's taste and bringing a long bony finger to his scar. "Or perhaps, it would be more prudent to say that your mudblood mother exceeded my expectations. She gave you her protection. Her blood. However, no more. I…can touch you now."

Through sheer will and power, Harry clenched his teeth tightly and refused to give another moment of satisfaction to this stupid dumbass dark lord who was hell bent on destroying everything because of his poor childhood. _Papa problems, my shit._ Send him to the Dursleys…then he'll understand. The agony was beyond imagination, surpassing even the taste of the Cruciatus, his head was split in tiny little pieces but _he would not scream_…

Lord Voldemort finally removed his finger and something akin to disappointment reflected on his face.

Harry chuckled as Voldemort glared at him.

"S-so co-cool of you, T-tom. You need to keep m-me tied up so that you could touch m-me." Another raspy laugh escaped his throat. "What a fucking pansy you are!"

His laughter echoed in the face of the almost immortal Dark Lord, taunting him, shaming him, bullying him…

And then, the creature hissed. "Untie him, Wormtail. And give him back his wand."

* * *

_Review Please!_


	12. A Reason To Live

**Thank you for your support everyone. Keep it up. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Ch 12: A Reason To Live**

_OKAAAYYYY…Merlin! Someone save me…No. No. No. Oh my freaking God. What the hell was I thinking…? Taunting that…that…thing. Stupid Harry. Stupid, stupid, Harry._ _He was alright with killing you with one damn spell, but NOoooo, you have to open your goddamn fucking mouth._ Harry shivered._ It's definitely going to_ _be torture now._

As Pettigrew came nearer, step by step, Harry sweated. Literally. He was intimately aware of that one single bead of perspiration that was currently somewhere around his mid-spine and the one that was just about to drop off his right cheek.

_Avert your eyes. Don't look at him. Don't you dare look at him, Harry Potter._

That voice felt suspiciously like Hermione.

God, he was missing his friends now. Were they going to miss him when he was gone? Or they very well might not even think that they were so good friends with someone named Harry Potter. Three years of friendship soured over something so inconsequential. Jealousy. What were they thinking?! Idiots.

_And me too._

_Yeah, you bloody well too. You should have stopped us somehow, mate. Even slapped some sense into us. But no, hell would freeze over before great fucking Potter would stoop so low._

Oh Ron, how I hate you sometimes! And how I love you at others. Missing you, mate. I wish we had parted on good wil-.

_Don't think like that Harry. _Hermione interrupted. _Don't lose hope now. You can fight him, and win._

He wanted to tell her that it wasn't so easy. Maybe Hermione could have done this, or, he could have fought if they both were alongside him, but he had absolutely zero chance alone. This was a dark lord for Dobby's sake.

_I have faith in you Harry. Always._

_Me too, mate. And sorry for everything._

_Shut up, Ronald. He is NOT dying…_

Harry tried not to show it but it was getting increasingly difficult to remain upbeat or look indifferent when Voldemort was eying him with that scary smirk, rolling his wand in his hands. Bloody scary, that nose.

_Why is it getting so cold? Why am I shivering? _His teeth started chattering and Harry crunched them together._ Bloody hell, I had already decided dying can't be that bad_.

Harry was a little surprised when he felt some_thing_ creep into his mind. It felt something like when he was at Potions, glaring at Snape, but a little different…And he wasn't even looking at Voldemort now. Er…what-

'_ave you forgotten EVERYTHING I taught you?_

Harry cringed and shook his head dazedly. It felt as if she was shouting in his ear.

_Uh huh…Fleur, you are here too?_

_Yezzzz…iz zere someone else as well?_

_Ron and Hermione…I think I am imagining all my loved ones giving me a farewell. You are the loudest by far. By the way, what happened to your 'oui'?_

_I zought your miniscule mind cannot 'andle your own thoughts, let alone some ozher language. And stop being so gloomy._

_I can't help it. I am going to die…D dot I dot E._

_Snape says you are an attention seeking –_

_I am NOT._

_Then prove it. You are NOT going to die…'arry._

Harry took a deep breath.

_Fleur…_

_Hmmm…_

_Since you aren't actually in front of me, and I can't actually say all this to you, but in fact I can say this to you in my heart and speak my thoughts in the hope that you might actually one day understand what it actually meant when I said all these things-_

_Just say it 'Arry._

_I love you._

Fleur remained silent and Harry sighed. He couldn't even imagine her saying-

_I love you too._

Voldemort watched as Harry's lips parted to form an 'O' and wondered what the boy was thinking. He was stubbornly refusing to meet eyes with him. He thought of forcing the boy to reveal his mind, but no, not before the duel. He too was honorable, whatever lies Dumbledore spreads around!

"Cut the ropes faster Wormtail." he ordered instead.

Wormtail whimpered, looked at his stump, and started sawing the ropes faster…well, as fast as he could with one hand. Never mind. He will give the fool his due..a silver hand…or death…Hmmm…he'll decide as soon as he gets rid of the boy. The boy was first.

Harry knew that however much he consoled himself with imaginary voices, he was scared shitless in his mind. Voldemort had a way of doing that to people. He just couldn't imagine this would feel so real, though. As if Fleur was _really_ here.

He closed his eyes.

_It felt surprising real Fleur, as if you were here with me…not only a figment of my imagination._

Fleur was silent again.

_I am real, 'arry._

_Yeah, I know…but only in my mind._

He felt as if Fleur sighed and muttered something akin to 'idiot'. _Whatever… just come back to me, 'Arry._

Harry took another deep breath to keep from hyperventilating and crying his eyes out like a baby. This was ridiculous…getting too emotional. God, he didn't want to leave her. He didn't want to die. Not without at least kissing her once. If only it really was Fleur…

_I really thought YOU would come for me._

_I may…let's see. Dumbledore is taking too much time._

His eyes snapped open? What is Dumbledore doing in his subconscious? God, he was missing the old man as well! He never knew he respected him _that_ much…

Pettigrew finally managed to cut off the ropes and Harry fell forward. Sometimes, he couldn't help but pity the man as he heard his whimpering. How could he even live with himself? All he did in the name of fear, betraying the best friends anyone could hope for, betraying their memories, what for? _This_? He shook his head and threw that particular train of thoughts out of the window for now_._ He quickly got up on his two feet and was mostly unsurprised when a sudden pain spiked in his left leg just as he put his weight on the torn tissue.

Wormtail thrust his precious wand in his hands and moved aside. As soon as his fingers clasped around the wood, an inadvertent sigh of pleasure escaped him as its familiar power flooded through his nerves and urged him to move forward. To fight with all he had. He had been given a chance to prove something, to take some amount of revenge. All due to Voldemort's bubbling overconfidence and he was damned if he let it go.

Voldemort smiled.

"You have been taught how to duel Harry Potter, I presume?" Voldemort taunted.

_In for a knut, in for a galleon._

"You'll see." said Harry, covering a decidedly fake yawn with his hands.

"Ah! Still not afraid of dying, are you? In so much hurry to meet mummy and daddy…" Harry did not reply. "Well, well, well…let's not make them wait, but first, bow!"

Harry stood up straighter. "Bow? To you? Are you still dreaming Tom? New body, new brain, same idiocy-"

But before he could finish, a cry escaped him as his back automatically arched in a bow in front of the monster, as if someone was forcefully pushing him from behind and bending his spine. Harry cursed himself inwardly. _Should have seen that coming_.

"When I say bow, you bow." hissed Voldemort as Harry grunted and erected himself slowly. "Now. Are there any last words like, say…_Crucio_."

The pain was entirely encompassing. There wasn't a tissue, bone or cell in his body that wasn't urging some deity to kill him at that very moment. His own screams echoed in his ears and all rational thought fled his mind. He wasn't aware if it was blood or tears that dripped from his eyes. He wasn't aware that he was rolling on the ground begging for this to stop. Stop it just once. It seemed like years and years before his misery was lifted off him and sound returned to his ears.

It was the sound of laughter.

The fuckers were laughing at him. He was trembling, crying blood. And they were laughing. They were all monsters. Humanity was no more a trait in those human shaped bodies. They had no right to live.

They bloody had no right to live. This one fact gave him the determination to overcome the tremors throughout his body and push himself to stand up once more. It was time to show them. Harry Potter was not someone to trifle with. He would show them…it would be their last laugh. He would not run. Oh, he wouldn't. He would fight…till his last breath…like a man…like his father did.

"You know Tom…" Harry wheezed "someone great said once upon a time, if you can't fuck the one who has fucked you time and again, then it's just better not to let yourself get more fucked from that same fucker."

Harry smiled as Voldemort's non-existent brows came together and his face showed absolute confusion.

"Tom, all these pureblood servants of yours, do they all know that your father was a muggle? A stupid muggle who was raped by your slutty mother and who then kicked you out before you were even born?"

Voldemort's eyes widened.

"Do they all know that you grew up in a muggle orphanage, were regularly beaten by muggle children, bullied and assaulted by nannies there? Were you also raped, Tom?"

Rage clouded Voldemort's features as he shook with fury.

"Is that why that you are no longer interested in girls Tom? Is that why you did this to yourself? Look at yourself Tom. Is it because you like getting ramrodded from behind? Is that why you keep pigs like Malfoy-"

Harry smirked as the wand went up in air and Voldemort positively screamed, "_Avada_ _Kedavra_".

And Harry twisted.

And Harry disappeared.

And Voldemort's eyes widened before an unholy cry of absolute madness escaped him as all death eaters cowered before him. He howled in his rage and fury and in his inability to kill Harry Potter once again. A storm began brewing up in the sky as the lightning flashed once, twice and again.

"Hey Tom, why are you screaming like a baby?"

Voldemort turned and looked at the now smirking face of Harry Potter. Not a sound emanated from anywhere or anyone for one moment. As usual, Harry broke the silence. "What, you thought I escaped? No, no, no. I was talking about you, Tommy boy. After all, I have fucked you time and again, haven't I?"

No one noticed the raging storm above in the clouds as Harry met Voldemort's fiery eyes head on this time, and challenged him. _Go for it, you fucker_.

He knew the exact second when Voldemort lost all self control and he twisted, only to appear a few feet away.

"_Avada Kedavra"_

And Avery fell. Harry twisted again.

"_Avada Kedavra"_

Crabbe Died. Harry twisted again.

"_Avada_ _Kedavra_"

Macnair gone. And Harry twisted once more.

But didn't reappear this time. Voldemort glanced at the three dead bodies lying nearby dispassionately and looked around himself, trying to find his nemesis. His rage clouded the rational part of his mind and he wanted to inflict such great pain on Harry Potter that the world would remember Potter and Pain as synonyms to each other. But where was he? Where had he gone? The boy couldn't run like this. No, no, no, after all he had said…he just couldn't run.

"Killing your own people now Tom?"

Voldemort looked around himself, trying to find the voice which was taunting him. But the boy wasn't anywhere. Though, he was still speaking. How? Where? "Trying to find me, Tom? Look around yourself, O Great Dark Lord."

Voldemort turned around and then again. His features twisted in rage and confusion. Potter wasn't anywhere.

"Tom, you really are going round the bend."

Where was the voice coming from? It was nearer this time and a lot more louder. "Move aside" he shouted at his followers. "Where is he? Find him. I want the boy."

And they all scattered in all directions.

A spell from his wand blasted apart the grave and the statue where Harry Potter had been tied but he wasn't there. Where was the boy? Where was he speaking from? Where was he hiding?

Lightning flashed once more and rain started.

"I am here, you asshole. Look up."

Voldemort's eyes widened once more as he finally understood where the boy was hiding all this time. He looked up, only to find a grinning Harry Potter free falling towards him with his wand forward with the speed of a rocket. And Voldemort suddenly knew what was about to happen.

"_Incendio_ _Maxima_"

He was a second too late though as a torrent of hot flame scorched his newly formed skin on his brand new face and another shriek, of pain this time, escaped from his throat.

Before he could even think to douse water on himself, a large weight collided with him head first and he saw stars.

Harry was seeing stars too. He hadn't thought this part of the plan clearly. Landing was pretty important, he reminded himself. _Oh_ _God_, _my_ _head_._ Ow, ow, ow…_

He grunted when he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders dragging him away. Slowly, vision came back as someone kicked him in the ribs. But frankly, hearing Voldemort scream was all worth it. Harry was internally laughing as someone was finally able to control the flames on Voldemort's face and the shrieking stopped.

He felt another kick to his ribs.

Voldemort himself got up and glared at the chuckling boy in front of him. He pushed away whoever was trying to help him on his feet and quickly threw anti apparition jinxes around the graveyard. He touched the blisters on his face and hissed as pain arced through his nerves.

"I must confess this was a surprise, Harry Potter."

Harry thought of getting up but decided to be comfortable on the ground for a while. His time was coming. Why bother doing more effort when he could snap and wave his wand from here just fine? For a moment, he thought of Fleur and how she was rubbing off on him. A sad smile broke on his face for a moment…_she would never know._ He just shook his head and sat up, tucking in his legs beneath him.

"Ah, I am so tired." Harry murmured from his sitting position, as he tried to massage his shoulders for some degree of comfort. He was pretty proud he hadn't lost his consciousness after all the madness.

Voldemort eyed him as Harry waited patiently for the curse. The very fresh burns and pain on his face were urging him to kill the boy with a snap. But he was curious. For some unfathomable reason, Harry Potter interested him far more than he let on.

"What now, Harry? Any more tricks you can show us."

Harry shrugged. "I am waiting for my luck to kick."

Voldemort just stared. "Curious. But no more. This ends here Harry Potter. No more apparition. Only wands."

A memory flittered through his thoughts at the mention of wands.

"…_I think we must expect great things from you Mr. Potter…After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things – terrible, but great."_

"As you wish." he answered.

They both eyed each other, luminous green met fiery red. Both could see the hate reflected in the other's eyes. Both were surprised by the similarities in their stories and differences in themselves. Both knew they were equals and only one would live in the end.

Harry wasn't surprised when he heard a voice in his head. _Hmmm…Voldemort wants private conversation_.

"_This is foolishness."_

"_Ah, you finally understand." he replied sarcastically. "Let's go back and finally surrender, shall we?"_

"_You could be great. I can give you all the power in the world. Join me and redefine your destiny. This is your final chance."_

Harry's eyes widened as he stared at Voldemort incredulously._ "I still hate you Riddle. How can you even expect me to accept your offer after I refused you when I was Eleven? Get out of my head by the way. It feels creepy."_

"_Why exactly do you hate me Potter?" _Voldemort asked instead._ "I have genuine reasons to hate you. You keep foiling my plans at every step. You killed me, stopped me from coming back, degraded my reputation. What have _I_ done to gain your hatred?"_

"_You killed my family, you bastard. Forgotten already?" _Harry couldn't believe he was hissing in his own mind.

Voldemort scoffed_. "What family? The one you never once met? You can't even remember your parents Potter. Pathetic father and fool of a mother. They could only have been an inconvenience in your way. It's better that they are dead. You are alone, your own master, free to choose. They are gone. They are dead. Why cry for them now? Why punish yourself for them? Let them die from your heart as well. Albus Dumbledore has put fantastical notions of love in your head. It is NOTHING. Let me mentor you Harry Potter. You will be second only to me. You have the power. I will give you the secrets of immortality. Be great and powerful. Rise above all."_

Harry clenched his fists in anger and glared. This man was far far gone_. "That's what you don't understand Tom. Love doesn't die. It keeps on going. Always. And Always."_ Before Voldemort could reply, he continued, verbally this time and not only in his mind. "And yes, I remember them, you bloody asshole. I remember my mother crying, begging you to spare me. I remember my father asking my mother to run with me. I remember her last screams. My father was an honorable man I am proud of and she was the best mother I could have asked for. I will _never, ever _in my life do anything that can even remotely insult their memory. So yes, I remember them quite clearly. As for accepting you as my mentor, _hahaha, _I can only say that you are the most delusional idiotic nobody on the face of earth. No one wants you. No one cares for you, Tom Riddle. You are shit. Worth less than shit. And you know what, the truth is that you know this one fact. That's why you are trying to convert every-bloody-thing into your potty hole, but I won't let you. You understand, YOU FUCKER. I WON'T LET YOU…"

By the end, Harry was spitting mad and all death eaters were gaping at him. Voldemort too oozed coldness now as his eyes _radiated _fury. He gave his servants one long look and turned to Harry.

"Very well, Harry Potter. You will die now."

"I won't FUCK YOU."

"_Avada_ _Kedavra_"

"_Avada Kedavra"_

Harry did not care that he had just cast an unforgivable. Voldemort was an animal, less than a pig in his eyes. _Yes. Moody has taught us. Hate. Hate. Hate._

He poured every ounce of hate he had for any-bloody-thing in that one spell. From Dursleys and Marge and kipper to Snape and Pettigrew and Voldemort himself blasted away from his wand.

He saw as Voldemort's eyes widened at his spell usage. He saw as a green light issued from his wand just as an identical green light blasted from Voldemort's – they met in midair – and suddenly Harry's wand was vibrating as though an electric charge was surging through it. He realized with a snap that both of their wands were now connected with a narrow beam of golden light. He saw the same look of confusion reflected in Voldemort's eyes and knew that this was something unexpected.

Something told Harry that he must not break the connection if he were to live. He tried with everything he had – he didn't know why but he did – to force that bead of light in the middle towards Voldemort's wand. Slowly, inch by inch, it moved. He saw as Voldemort's eyes widened further with shock as a ghost floated out from his own wand.

Macnair.

"You killed us." The ghost shouted at Voldemort, and Harry was able to witness something he was sure no one ever had. Voldemort was afraid. Very, very afraid.

Harry willed the blob to move towards his enemy. He had a feeling that Voldemort wouldn't live through two Avada's. Soon enough, Crabbe and Avery too were firing obscenities at Voldemort in their ghostly form. And his nemesis was quivering in fear. But he could not break the connection.

A hope started bubbling in his heart when an old man, the one he had seen being killed in his dreams, came out of the wand and floated towards him, "Do not break the connection boy. They are coming."

And Harry's prayers were answered when he finally saw his mother's face. She looked at him and he knew he would never forget what her eyes were saying. She was proud of him.

"Your Dad is coming too Harry. We love you, baby."

He wasn't aware that he was crying. Tears fell from his eyes as he just gathered his mothers' face in his eyes, never to forget her again. He burnt her in his memories. She was beautiful and her smile infectious. He did not want her to go way. Not ever. "Please, don't leave me." he whispered, but he knew she heard for she came to him.

His mother floated nearer and pressed a cold kiss on his forehead. "Don't worry love. I am always with you. Here." She said, touching his heart.

Harry just wanted to weep in her arms. Voldemort shouted at his followers to not come closer but Harry didn't hear him. His wand wasn't even vibrating much anymore. It was easy to keep it up as he met _them_.

And then, his father came. And he was struck speechless. He really looked identical to him. Same glasses. Same hair. Same grin. "Hey buddy, doing pretty great these days. What with all the Veelas!"

More tears escaped. "I miss you, Dad."

James smiled. "We miss you too son. But we always keep an eye on you, don't you worry there. And kiss her already."

Harry laughed at the first advice he got from his father. "It's not so easy, Dad."

"I know. But I got your mother, see? And she hated me at first, believe me. Just start once and keep it up. Girls love Potter men. And that one-"

"Shut up, James." Lily snapped.

"Ask Sirius. He is pretty-"

"Shut UP, James."

His father winked at him.

"Harry, we both are proud of you." his mother said. "Remember that."

"I will." he answered. "Always."

The three looked at each other one final time while Voldemort shouted obscenities at them.

"They are coming. Stun Wormtail as soon as you break the connection." his father said at last.

And his wand suddenly felt a lot more heavier.

"What?" he asked. "Who is coming?"

His father winked again at him. Even his mother smiled. "Your Veela, of course." said Lily Potter, grinning.

"And that old coot too." reminded his father, before finally jumping at Voldemort to torment him for a little longer.

"Remember Harry, we love you." said his mother one final time. "Break the connection. NOW."

And Harry did. He pulled his wand upward with an almighty wrench and the connection broke. He watched as all the ghostly shadowy figures, included his mum and dad, closed upon Voldemort and he screamed.

Harry turned around hurriedly and stunned the cowering Pettigrew with one swish from his wand.

"STUN HIM!" Voldemort shouted and Harry turned to find more than twenty wands trained on him.

Before one could make a move though, a sudden large cracking noise, as if someone simultaneously broke hundreds of pieces of glass, filled his ears. And then, he saw her.

Fleur.

Wreathed in flame.

Rage twisted her features into an ugly mockery of her beauty as she glared at her surroundings. She was terrifying and deadly all at the same time and the collected group of death eaters cowered away from her. Even Harry was struck speechless.

For a moment, her eyes met his, and a softness appeared on her face. Harry could only stare.

"We meet at last, Tom. Alas! I was more favorable to your old look."

Harry looked at her right side and met Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes. It seemed he was somehow looking at both Voldemort and him at the same time and giving them jovial expressions. Harry wondered how he could look in two directions without even turning his head.

"Dumbledore," Voldemort glared. "Come to save your little boy with…with…what is sh-"

Before Voldemort could finish, a dozen balls of fire were thrown at him and the battle started anew.

He dodged, obviously. Took his lesson from last time.

Before Harry could even blink, spells of all colors were being thrown in the duo's direction. Fleur lifted herself to the sky and started poring death from above, in the form of fire. Screams filled the air as some death eaters who got the full brunt of the attack collapsed while others shielded themselves and apparated away to a nearby location, attacking Dumbledore.

Dumbledore shielded himself from the dozen or so spells and reacted with one single blizzard of his own, not even mildly impressed.

He had to dodge though when a jet of green light raced towards him from an entirely _expected_ source.

"That's cheating, Tom. I see you haven't learned the rules of dueling in your thirteen years of holiday."

While Voldemort unfreezed his death eaters, Dumbledore transfigured the nearby graves into something identical to Hogwarts suits of armour and sent them off to fight.

"I see you are as cocky as you ever, you old fossil. When are you planning to die?"

The suits of armour marched towards the death eaters as swords warred with wands. Hastily conjured they might be, but they knew their technique.

"Not for some more time, I am afraid."

Someone's body dropped to the ground as Fleur smashed him down head-first.

"I'll see to it that you pass away soon enough."

Dumbledore's eyes widened as a large basilisk made entirely of cursed fire erupted from Voldemort's wand and lunged for him. He quickly countered this attack with a huge aqueous phoenix of his own that dived through the basilisk.

"_Avada_ _Kedara_" Harry shouted at Voldemort's back, trying to take the advantage of the situation but Voldemort side-stepped and threw a spell towards him.

Harry dodged narrowly and released a sigh of relief when a nearby grave exploded to ash from the sheer force of the spell.

"I haven't forgotten you Potter." Voldemort shouted, throwing spell after spell at Dumbledore in earnest, who dodged and shielded as if he did this on a daily basis. "Stay out of this."

Harry did not listen.

"_Avada Kedavra. Avada Kedavra. Avada_ _Kedavra_."

Voldemort twisted, turned, dodged, waved but did not get hit and somehow kept his attack on Dumbledore.

"Die you asshole." Harry hissed, snapping his wand again and again. "Why. Won't. You. Just. Die. Back?"

Suddenly, he felt coldness creep into him from behind and he knew this would hurt. He turned to find Voldemort standing before him, not one step away.

"NO, TOM," He heard Dumbledore's frightened voice before Voldemort grabbed his head and _tore_ into his brain.

And then, Harry's scar burst open. He knew he was dead; pain beyond imagining, pain past endurance-

He couldn't see, he couldn't hear, he couldn't _feel_…he was locked in the coils of a creature with red eyes he could not recognize. They were fused together. He did not know where his body ended and the creature's began…only pain was his world.

Fleur saw as Voldemort disappeared and Harry screamed as his scar burst open, adding to the blood and grime on his face.

She halted in her tracks with wide eyes as Dumbledore ran towards him. A death eater got her with a cutting curse and she turned him into ash a second later without even glancing at her wound.

She gently flew down towards Harry and dispersed her fire. She heard his words and pain gripped her heart.

"_Kill me now, Dumbledore."_

Blinded and dying, every part of Harry Potter screamed for release. Memories old and new, long forgotten and painful, filled his senses as he relived all of them. Some real, some not so much. His parents weren't proud of him anymore. They hated him. His friends were never his friends. They used him. And there was someone else too. He could not remember her. She would never be there for him again. She was slipping away…

He knew the creature was using him somehow, he knew his very being was being warped and violated but he was helpless. So very helpless.

Hate filled his features and clouded his brain.

"_If death is the next great adventure, kill the boy now Albus. And spare him this agony…"_

"Don't do this Tom. He is just a boy…"

"_Then kill him yourself. He is in so much pain…"_

Dumbledore looked at Fleur helplessly, like a broken man. He couldn't believe what was happening. He couldn't remember being so afraid except one other instance in his life. And that hadn't resulted well.

No.

It wasn't supposed to be like this…this cannot happen.

"Save him." he whispered.

How? She wanted to ask, but words weren't coming to her as easily now. She had prepared Harry to bear pain but she hadn't thought he would have to face this…this unimaginable agony.

"Save him." Dumbledore repeated.

Fleur did what she could. She remembered her sister and the times she would cry in her childhood. She remembered how she consoled her and sometimes even cried herself with her.

She then remembered every second, good or bad, she had spent with Harry. They had practically been living together all this time, even sleeping next to each other on some occasions. She hadn't thought she could ever be so comfortable with any stranger, let alone a younger boy, who obviously fancied her. They had cried, laughed and generally did everything to drive the other up the wall.

And then there were times when one of them wasn't as sane as they liked to pretend and the other had consoled that one. Fleur remembered that one time when she had soundly slapped Harry when he was whining too much for her comfort and unwittingly, a chuckle escaped her throat.

With something prickling in her eyes, Fleur knelt down and took Harry's head in her lap. She looked at his face with tenderness she seldom showed anyone and traced a finger on his damp cheek. She touched his forehead and pressed a soft kiss there.

Harry felt something soft somewhere touch him and memories stirred as his thought processes returned to him in a snap.

_I want to live…_he realized.

"_Listen to me, 'arry" someone was saying. "I am 'ere for you. Listen to me, my amour. It will be alright."_

_Fleur._

_She was there for him._

"_Don't think of ze pain you 'ave endured, my love. Think of ze love, the blessings, and the faith you have been awarded with. Think of everything pure you 'ave every known."_

He did as she said because he knew she was always right. She always did what was best for him, even if it meant breaking certain parts of his body in order to do so. He thought of his parents and their love, their proud figures that very night. He thought of his friends who weren't happy with him at the moment but were worried sick for _his _happiness in their hearts. He thought of Sirius Black, his own Godfather, who has suffered so very much for him through no fault of his own.

Slowly, the pain receded.

And lastly, he thought of the girl who was still caring for him and because of whom, he was still alive. He thought how much he had come to love and respect her in such a short period of time and how he wouldn't ever want to be apart from her.

He had to live.

With a final roar of fury of his own, Harry pushed all he had in him towards the creature and threw the monster out of his head.

Voldemort suddenly reappeared with wide eyes, gasping for breath and looked at Harry Potter with disbelief written clearly all over his face.

He looked at the broken old man who was suddenly energized again and the teary eyed girl who was throwing fireballs at his followers mere minutes ago.

He couldn't believe they had defeated him.

Then one voice spoke: "I will kill you." Harry Potter promised.

And for once, Voldemort had no answer.

He retreated with barely a scowl on his burned face. New plans were to be made. Old ones to be amended.

Harry looked at the face hovering above him and smiled. "I thought I heard you in my mind."

It was Fleur's laughter he heard before darkness enveloped him and he finally surrendered to blissful oblivion. With a smile on his face, this time.

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_Review!_


	13. Friends

**Thank you for your support everyone. I really do want to know how you feel about this chapter, so I am posting it earlier than usual. Enjoy. And yes, a reminder, I am trying not to bash pretty much _any_ character in this story. Well, maybe Umbridge, we'll see...**

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**Ch 13: Friends**

Hermione Granger had been called many things in her short life. Most of them were along the lines of 'A know-it-all insufferable bitch'.

When she was a child and her classmates bullied her, calling her names and pushing and pulling on her braids and stealing her precious books, she never took it upon herself. She always knew that it wasn't her fault that she was a brilliant girl and they weren't. Her father had taught her so. When they would push her and she would fall, she would rather bravely pick herself up and promise herself to learn even better the next time, so that she could always take her revenge in the unit tests!

It didn't mean though that she had never longed for friends. For she had cried, not once but several times since she could remember, even when others eventually left her alone to her devices. No one ever came to console her.

With time, she had slowly come to expect that she would always feel lonely and would have to fend for herself if she were to live. She remembered her worst fear being that even her parents would one day leave her, hate her.

All that changed when a sudden letter arrived and Hermione was basked in the sunlight of hope. She wasn't alone. There were others _just_ like her, Professor McGonagall had said. She wasn't a freak! She would just have to start afresh in a brand new world awaiting her since the day she was born.

And Hermione sang and danced and laughed and played and did everything she never had done before because Hermione Granger was _happy_. Because Hogwarts was waiting for her! She would finally, _finally, _have friends.

She learnt her lesson soon enough.

A pale boy with blond hair called her a Mudblood on the very first train ride. She had enough sense to know that it was something foul and offensive. Her dorm mates dismissed her as 'not much of friend material' on her third day of school. Soon enough,

she was branded as a 'know-it-all' all over again.

However, it wasn't as bearable this time around. Her worst fear had been partially realized. Her parents weren't with her.

But determined as she was, she persevered.

She did what she did best – she studied. The world was new and the information was rich. There was a huge, _really_ huge, library where she could spend all her time with a smile, if only a tiny one at that, on her face. What if she was alone in this huge castle full of fancy wizards and witches and ghosts and paintings and moving staircases and what not! And what if no one wanted her? She would still be the best witch of her generation. Nobody would _ever_ surpass Hermione Granger as far as academics went.

Everything was surely, albeit slowly, settling into place and she had finally accepted her position in this new world of magic.

And then, Ron happened.

Even now after so many years, Hermione had an intense urge to strangle the boy whenever she thought of that particular Halloween and that particular vicious, smelly, humungous mountain troll.

It wasn't that Hermione hadn't forgiven Ron. Of course, she had forgiven him. He had come by to save her later after all. And he was now one of her best friends.

_One _of her best friends…

And there was the problem and the reason behind Hermione's inner monologue.

Because someone else too came that day to save her, even when he wasn't responsible for her life and limbs in any way whatsoever.

It was the boy who became her other best friend. It was the boy who was actually able to teach _her _something: friendship. It was _Harry Potter_.

A lone tear escaped her eye as she watched him sleeping, broken and bruised, from his very own invisibility cloak.

As Hermione thought about her past four years at Hogwarts and recalled similar instances to her pre-Hogwarts days, her analytical brain was able to divide and compare her lifespan in two clear parts. Before Harry saved her from the troll and After Harry saved her from the troll.

She still felt lonely sometimes but Harry was always there to cheer her up. When Ron would somehow or the other screw something up and Hermione had to fix it, he was always there to help her. When she and Ron fought, he always took the side that he felt was right, which was mostly her. When she sometimes bossed him around, he never rejected her, but complied with her demands with a lazy grin of his own.

Looking back, it was clear that Harry was the most selfless being she could think of.

And Hermione knew on a subconscious level that he would _never _leave her. Her parents could. Ron could. But not him. Because Harry was just as lonely as her and because Harry _valued _her, trusted her.

Trust, she had quite obviously, now lost.

Hermione could honestly say that she did not know what devilish part of her had reared its head up when she had decided not to trust Harry that night. She hung her head in shame when she realized that it was just another Halloween and that it was _her _test this time and that she had failed. It didn't matter that she had come to her senses by the next day but lost her nerve and courage to apologize to Harry. And then, he was gone hanging out with that French girl and it seemed he no longer needed her.

Moreover, Ron was being his usual pathetic self, agonizing over his own stupidity from inside and passing scathing comments on outside but beating whoever else did it in front of him. She remembered Seamus's blue face when he had dared pass a comment about Harry's genealogy in front of Ron, no doubt thinking that he would be clapped on the back. But Ron just liked the Irish boy's face better.

Hermione sighed.

If it weren't for the fact that she _knew _that Ron would probably drown himself if she left him too, she would have somehow done this much sooner.

As Harry laid there with that same French girl sitting next to him, Hermione thought back to what she had seen that afternoon and covered her mouth to keep from emptying her stomach.

She did not know what happened to Harry today and where he was portkeyed after that horrendous first task. But looking back at their previous three adventures, Harry's tremors every now and then, the worried look on Delacour's face beside him and seeing that it wasn't even the end of the year, he was definitely in some big trouble.

He needed help.

_Her_ help. And she would be there for him this time.

She had to at least try making amends with him. Hopefully, he would acquiesce without making her lick his boots.

Hopefully.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Ron Weasley was a bit of an arsehole.

Ron Weasley would be the first one to admit the above mentioned fact, if someone were to ask him this tidbit when his head was suitably cool, his stomach was full and he was sleeping.

Come on, he would never admit that he was an arsehole!

Except, maybe this time.

Ron felt like kicking himself in the back, but seeing as even Hermione could not possibly prove this to be anatomically feasible, refrained.

This was all his fault. This was all his fault. This was all _his_ _bloody_ _fault_.

If only he was there with Harry all this time, maybe he could have helped him somehow. Maybe, he could have helped him prepare better. Maybe, he shouldn't have been a dick after all.

What the hell was he thinking anyway? Why was it so important for his mum and dad to literally put a mean, no, _jealous_ bone in his body? Why was he always so jealous? _Why? Why? Why?_

For as long as Ron could think back, jealousy had been his defining trait. He was jealous of the success, smartness and looks of his brother Bill, he was jealous of Charlie for he was the best ever Quidditch player in the history of Weasleys, jealous of Percy for being a prefect and then, the head boy, jealous of Fred and George for having each other's backs. Hell, he was jealous of his _younger_ sister, Ginny, because everyone _adored_ her, what with being the only daughter Weasley family has had for generations!

And he was nothing.

He _had_ nothing.

Except his two best friends.

And he had single handedly managed to throw that one precious gift away.

For all intents and purposes, Harry had been another one of his brothers since the day he met him. Just that he was _better_. Ron had never consciously acknowledged the fact that in spite of being a world famous celebrity, Harry had always treated him as his equal. He had never tried to give him charity but still never shied away from sharing everything he owned with him and expecting the same in return. They were mates from the second Ron had entered that compartment four years ago. Best Friends Forever.

Ron felt like laughing.

He had lost it.

His jealousy had broken whatever they had together, taken one of his brothers from him.

He squeezed Hermione's hand under the cloak as tears suddenly sprang to his eyes and an intense urge to weep in her arms consumed him. He had lost Harry.

Ron had an idea of what Harry had witnessed that night, away from everyone he loved, and utterly, completely alone. He had heard rumors. Hermione obviously hadn't.

"So sorry…" he half whispered, half sobbed but he knew that Harry wasn't listening. He knew that he was probably facing nightmares as he watched him.

Hermione squeezed his hand back.

God, he was thankful to Harry for this too. He would have lost her, never _known _her, had it not been for him suggesting that they save her from _his _lethal stupidity.

Not only Hermione, Harry had saved his little sister as well, from Voldemort himself. Ron should have been thankful to him for life…but he had instead chosen to abandon him.

"We'll get him back." Hermione whispered.

It wasn't so easy.

"It wouldn't be easy. He wouldn't take us." he said.

"We'll beg him if we have to."

"If only if it were that simple…"

"What if he doesn't need us? He seems happy enough with Delacour these days."

Ron smiled. "Now, who's being jealous."

"I just think that _we_ ought to be there sitting beside him at this moment."

"We made a mistake Hermione. It's our luck if Harry forgives us or not. Besides, look at her. She cares for him."

"Yes. I can see that. But I have notice, you haven't drooled at her once since we got here."

s

Ron sighed. "I came to a very important realization when I saw Harry fighting for his life today, Hermione. I cannot be carefree without him on my side. He takes away my burdens upon himself so much that I nearly forgot how I always hated being alone before Hogwarts."

Hermione turned to him. "You have changed Ron."

He smiled. "Blimey. I have, haven't I? Seeing a dragon throwing your best mate around would do that to you, I think."

"You love Harry." she said, matter of factly.

"I do. But don't use that word in front of him. He'll never stop laughing."

"He loves us too."

"I hope."

"I have a feeling tomorrow would either make or break our lives."

"I have a feeling Harry would either choose us or I'll just have to punch him."

"What?" Hermione asked, scandalized.

"No, listen. I'll punch him once. Then he'll retaliate by punching me again and again. And I won't stop him. That way, he'll spend all his pent up anger on us in one stroke."

Hermione looked at him with a strange expression.

"I think we should go now."

He understood.

"You don't know how much I want his forgiveness Hermione. I will never forget what happened today. And I am afraid of _spiders_…bloody Gryffindor I am."

They headed back to their dorms after that, hand in hand.

If not him, Harry could at least forgive Hermione. Only Ron knew how much she had cried over the past weeks.

Hopefully, Harry would be happy enough when they lick his boots, to actually forgive them.

Hopefully.

Ron Weasley was an utter arsehole sometimes.

But he won't be now.

Not for a few days at least.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Harry yawned heavily as he woke up from his dreamless sleep, though it wasn't as dreamless as he had hoped. Through the night, he had felt something similar to low voltage electricity pass through his body several times, but his mind was so dull that he didn't have any choice but to bear it.

He opened his eyes and looked around himself.

Hospital Wing again! This year's record would be hard to surpass…

He turned his head to the side, only to find a mane of familiar long silver hair greeting him, as Fleur snored lightly.

Harry snorted.

He had never thought of Fleur as the snoring type. Coming to think of it, this was the first time she was actually snoring in front of him. Maybe something to do with sleeping on a stool.

Harry shook his head and watched her. Her face wasn't visible but it was clear that she was in a very deep sleep and was probably looking after him all night. He smiled.

He raised his hand and took a lock of her hair in a couple of his fingers, playing with it as time passed, content to wait for her to come around. Minutes later, he still had the same lock in one of his hands while the other petted Fleur's head lovingly, when an idea came to his mind and he grinned mischievously.

Carefully flipping her hair forward so as to reveal a portion of her neck at the back, Harry sat up. He touched the soft skin with his thumb and traced a circular pattern with his fingers. Taking extra care so as not to make any creaking noise from the bed, he leaned forward and kissed her.

As his lips met her smooth skin, Fleur moaned in her sleep. He waited for her to fall back asleep and when her snoring commenced, he kissed that small patch of skin again. Fleur did not make any fuss this time, so he kissed her again.

Grinning like a loon, he sat back up and lay down.

He took back to his task of playing with her hair and petting her. It was perfect. He was content.

He'll wait for her to come around.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Fleur yawned lazily as she opened her eyes and rubbed them. Her back was aching. This position wasn't good enough for sleeping. Her head though…her head…someone was _petting_ her head, as if she was some sort of a cat!

She sat up and glared at the offender.

"What were you doing?"

Harry shrugged. "What do you think?"

When Fleur didn't lessen her glare, Harry raised his hands. "All right. I just like your hair and I was getting bored. That's it." He then added. "Plus, I think you meow like a kitten in your sleep, so that was reason enough."

"I do not!" said Fleur incredulously.

"Oh you do," Harry said with a laugh. "You were even saying my name in your sleep."

Fleur huffed. "Az if…"

"You were, I promise." said Harry with conviction, sitting up on his bed.

"Really, what waz I saying then?" she asked, raising a single eyebrow.

"Err…let me think, something along the lines of…I think it started as something like 'No, 'Arry', 'No, 'Arry' and then it went something like 'Oh, 'Arry', 'Oh, 'Arry."

Fleur reddened.

Harry's voice acting wasn't really helping matters.

"I don't actually understand what you were dreaming about, mind you, since I am practically a child, you know. Only fourteen. But then, you went something like 'Oh gosh 'Arry. Yezzz…Yezzz. Like Zat. Never zought it can be soooooooooo…ah, good.' I was like really, what can be so good? I was just about to wake you up but then you started shouting, 'Keep eet up, please 'Arry, pleeeeeeaze Keep it up.' And I thought I should not stop your fun."

Fleur's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Her knuckles whitened as her fingers unconsciously clutched them together in a tight grip.

"But then, you grabbed my hand and…and kissed it. I was horrified. What is she doing? Then you just licked it once and placed it on your head. I don't know whether I was relieved or more frightened. So, I just started petting you."

Fleur was breathing hard by this point and her eyes were smoldering. But Harry was too far gone to stop midway in his narration.

"That would have been okay really. I wouldn't have had any hard feelings for you but when you…when you…when you clutched at my pants, that was it. I finally understood what you were thinking about me and what was the meaning behind those awful noises you were making in your throat. Thank Merlin I had taken some of those classes in primary school. I was like…God, what is she thinking about me? I am fourteen for Merlin's sake. Three years, Fleur. Three years. How could you? You are old enough to be a granny to me…like, say, McGonagall. I thought we were friends and all this time, you were constantly violating my privacy. I can't even begin to describe how I felt when you actually admitted to…admittied to…Merlin, I can't even say it…" Harry lowered his voice. "…watching me bath."

Harry finally stopped to take a breather and noticed Fleur's labored breathing, white fingers, red eyes and pointy teeth.

He smiled innocently. "Did I say something?"

Fleur, obviously, went mad.

"Yikes. Yikes. I was just joking, Fleur." said Harry as he laughed and jumped from the bed, running towards the bathroom. A table blocked his way at the door and his eyes widened as a pot came flying towards him out of nowhere.

He dodged and crawled under a bed. "Sorry, Fleur. I kind of kissed you-"

"What?" she shrieked.

The bed flew up and began falling back on Harry.

"-in my dreams, I mean." he shouted.

Another bed smashed in the nearby window as Harry dodged it narrowly. A row of pots floated near him as he ran around for cover.

"You are-" Pot one smashed as Harry ducked.

"-a disgusting creature-" Pot two smashed as Harry rolled.

"-'Arry Potter." Pot three finally hit Harry's chin and he cried.

"Ow, ow, ow…" he was hopping on one leg now. "Fleur, calm down. Seriously, this is going overboard."

"I zought you were a _good _boy."

A few potions bottles smashed at his feet. "I am." Harry shouted. "I promise. Stop this now. I am done."

"I am NOT."

Something invisible grabbed Harry from his midsection and threw him into a wall. He stood up on his legs and realized Fleur was _really_ angry.

He had to do something before she killed him.

He jumped aside only to find a scalpel zooming towards his midsection. He froze. He stilled. A sound of a _thud _echoed just as Harry closed his eyes.

When he felt no pain, he looked down to find the sharp pointy thing exactly where it shouldn't have been. Had it been a millimeter above, it would have surely embedded itself into his groin.

Harry looked up with wide terrified eyes.

Fleur was smirking and he could clearly see vengeance in her eyes. "I did not miss my target, 'Arry Potter."

"Sorry." Harry squeaked.

"For?"

"For my lewd, irresponsible, childish, improper comments. I think I went a little too far."

She showed him her white sparkling teeth. "Eet iz okay. Just keep your tongue in check next time."

Harry just nodded.

"Did you really kiss me?"

"I want to kiss you."

Fleur looked at the blatant proclamation. But before she could say anything…

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY INFIRMARY?"

Harry sighed. His luck.

**~X~X~X~X~**

Soon enough, Harry was on his way to the Headmaster's office with Fleur by his side. Madam Pomfrey had unceremoniously kicked them out of the Hospital Wing after informing them of the Headmaster's summon.

Fleur wasn't being very talkative.

Before they could reach the end of even the first set of corridors, a snide voice had him rubbing his temples.

"Going for a potty break with your Veela, Potter?"

Crabbe and Goyle laughed as only they did.

Harry eyed Malfoy coolly while keeping an eye on Fleur's wand. He didn't want her to permanently shrink Malfoy's balls or something. Then again, maybe, just a little. "Get lost Malfoy. I am really not in the mood."

"Why? Afraid you'll dirty your pants?"

Crabbe and Goyle laughed again.

"Have you really forgotten what I said last time?" Harry asked.

Malfoy's smirk vanished. "You'll pay for that Potter. The Dark Lord-"

"-just pissed in his pants last night. And your father as well."

Malfoy growled.

"He will make you pay."

"And I will feed you Dobby's shit." laughed Harry.

"Who iz Dobby?" asked Fleur from his side.

"A free elf, Fleur. A free elf who kicked his father's arse two years ago. I bet there's still a mark on his bum."

"You dare…" but Malfoy changed his tracks for once and laughed. "I just remembered. My father told me about the protection your mudblood mother gave you that saved you from the dark lord all those years ago. And it is gone now. Who would you throw now in front of a killing curse to save yourself Potter? This half-breed?"

But before Harry could even think of boxing him into a pulp like he did to Snape, Malfoy went down in a heap.

He turned to Fleur, only to find her looking straight ahead.

Harry too looked at the two faces standing before them and his lips thinned.

His once-upon-a-time best friends were looking at him with wide eyes. And what was that? Guilt. Ah, so they had finally come to their senses.

Malfoy stood up and glared but nobody gave him any notice. "You Weasel, I will…"

"Stop," Harry heard Fleur's voice. "I am not az forgiving as 'arry 'ere. We 'ave 'ad enough of you for one day. Go and play somewhere else. Shooooo."

Malfoy screamed as she banished him away and his henchmen, all with a single wave of her wand.

The three past friends looked at each other for an uncomfortable while. They all realized that they hadn't been together for even a couple of minutes since the tournament had started. All the fun they had had together in those first three years seemed to dwarf in comparison to the silence of these few weeks.

Harry was the one to break the silence, "I could have handled him, you know."

Ron nodded and smiled a little. "…Yeah, I heard what you did. With Snape, I mean."

"You did now, didn't you?" Harry shook his head as his eyes hardened. "No, no, R-Mr. Weasley. I was merely skipping my classes that day. I am after all a Champion of Hogwarts and don't actually need any education. Just like I don't need any friends…"

Ron gulped as he listened to his own words from that day being reflected at him.

"I am-"

"They were the exact same words, I guess." said Harry thoughtfully.

"Look Harry, we are-" attemped Hermione.

"Oh yes, I forgot. Fleur, you see, according to this girl, I shouldn't have insulted Hogwarts with my actions."

Hermione whimpered. "Please. I am sorry."

"We are…" said Ron, looking at him remorsefully. "…sorry. Please, forgive us mate."

Harry looked them both up and down.

"What for?" he asked mercilessly. "And what mate are you talking about Mr. Weasley? Oh that stupid one…what was his name again Mr. Weasley. The-Boy-Who-Lived, right?"

Ron staggered back. "I-I never…"

"YOU NEVER?" roared Harry. "You never thought of me as the-boy-who-lived? NEVER? You were never jealous of my fame, Ron? How dare you say Never? How dare you lie?"

Hermione tried to say something. "L-look Harry, we know that we misjudged you. We know that we were entirely wrong and we can't undo what we did. But we will do anything – anything at all…"

But Harry wasn't listening anymore. "I told you time and again that Ron, I don't want people to follow me. I don't want daily prophet to print my name. I don't want any of this fame. Or money. I would have rather taken your family as mine if I could. I considered you a brother. But NO…I am an idiot, seeking attention, for a thousand bloody galleons." ranted Harry.

"Calm down, Harry."

"Shut up, Fleur. This is not your business."

Fleur clipped her lips.

Harry rubbed his temples. "You let your jealousy take control of you Ron and I am sorry for that. But it can't go back to the way it was."

Ron closed his eyes.

"Harry please-"

"And you. Go and find yourself a time turner that can go back that far. Because that's the only way you can fool me back."

Harry turned away from both of them and took deep heaving breaths.

"I trusted you both. And you both broke it like a shard of glass. I gave you everything I had and you took _everything _away from me. Namely, my two best friends. I can no longer see them in your faces. Forgive me if I did anything wrong when I was with you…but it just can't…go back. It just…"

Hermione was crying. She could only cry now. She had truly lost him.

"It - it was a spur of the moment reaction Harry. I wanted to talk to you later but I was afraid. Afraid that you will _reject_ me. And Ron was feeling just as bad, believe me. We both were hurt by our own actions."

Ron was crying. This was a new experience for him. Except for the past month or so.

"I know we deserve this Harry." Ron said and Fleur nudged Harry's leg. Harry scowled at her. He wouldn't forgive them so easily. "I know I am a prat. But I-I try Harry. I try very much not to think about these things but sometimes it just, just _happens_. I am _normal_ Harry. I am not _you_."

Harry closed his eyes at these words. Ron was apologizing now, but what is the guarantee that he wouldn't hurt him in the future.

"I can't give you any guarantees Harry," Harry's eyes snapped open as Ron reflected his _thoughts_ back at him. "That I will always be perfect in future.

I don't like when they call me your sidekick. I feel sick…I honestly didn't know who you were when I entered your compartment that day. And later, it didn't matter that you were Harry Potter."

Harry thought back to that day and smiled. That was the day his life had flipped upside down. Ron was his first friend.

He gritted his teeth as that stupid feeling of forgiveness arose in him and he tried to clamp his heart shut to avoid further treachery. But unbidden, images since that first day came back to his mind. He remembered that Ron was the one who introduced him to Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and exploding snap and Wizarding chess. He was the one who constantly filled his head with crazy Quidditch facts and techniques. He was the one who rescued him from his relatives in Second Year and took him to his home. He was the one who accompanied him to the Chamber of Secrets and stood beside him when everyone shunned him for being the heir of Slytherin.

"But you are my best friend," Ron was saying and here his voice broke, "and I will always remember you as such even if you don't want us."

And Hermione. She was his scary sister, plain and simple. He had traveled through _time_ with her. How many people were there who could say _that_?

He looked at Fleur who had a cheeky smirk on her face. She had actually warned him about something like this happening before they had departed the hospital wing and given a lecture on the importance of friendship and how it was important not to let them turn sour, conveniently forgetting about Potato for some reason. Apparently, she had sensed them both in his invisibility cloak last night.

He sighed and turned to them. They both were leaning on each other for comfort as if they were giving a farewell to someone greatly loved, or more appropriately, as if they were mourning that someone.

There eyes were closed.

"I-I wish…" Ron said at last with his eyes closed, "I wish I was different."

And it was at this point that he felt an _intense_ pain in his nose. Same went for Hermione as well.

They both staggered back and fell down completely. A moment or two of disorientation was followed as they covered their noses and then looked up.

Harry was kneeling before both of them.

"If you ever, _ever_, said something like that again, I will kick your ass so hard…" said a grinning Harry Potter. "Why are you both _so_ bloody melodramatic, you fools? I mean, I am not dying here. At least, not for quite some time."

Ron just looked at him as if petrified _and_ confused.

"And Ron, since when have you started acting like a girl. Crying, sobbing, _leaning_ on Hermione of all people. Honestly, I am not around you both for four weeks and you both go mad. Seriously?"

Hermione was the first to speak, "You punched me! That is…that is…I am a _girl_."

"Really? I didn't notice. Since when?" he asked and then said, "Besides, it was Fleur who punched you."

Fleur smirked at Hermione who scowled at the taller girl.

Ron was still petrified and looked at Harry as if he would vanish any second.

Hermione started crying again, when the pain subsided somewhat. "You…you…"

"Me…me…"

"You forgive us?" It was Ron's voice this time.

Harry met his eyes.

And opened his arms to both of his friends.

Fleur shook her head as both Ron and Hermione _lunged_ at Harry and tackled him to the ground.

"SORRYYYYYYYYY…" They yelled in unison,

"It's okay…It's okay…yes, it's okay Ron…Ow! Hermione, why are you-"

They were all laughing and crying and hugging all at the same time. Thankfully, Ron wasn't kissing Harry like Hermione, who was slobbering all over his face. But Fleur could see that it wasn't romantic at all and she really wasn't a bitch anyway, so she didn't interrupt the scene.

Much.

"Can I come in too?"

Harry somehow, in spite of being tackled by two dog like humans, managed to pull her down over all three of them and laughed.

It was his laughter, unlike any she had heard from him before, that gave Fleur a strength and lightness that she had seldom experienced before. For a moment, she had actually been convinced that Harry was breaking all ties with his past friends. Until Harry had turned around and a smile had blossomed on his face, and Fleur had realized that his heart was big enough that he could forgive and give his trust again.

She suddenly realized she had two more friends now. Better than Potato for that matter.

It was when all four of them howled like wolves on a full moon that a voice interrupted their raucous get together with a shriek, "What in Merlin's name is this racket going on? This is a school not a pub."

It was Minerva McGonagall and she was angry.

Harry looked at the other three and met their eyes.

And then they all howled again.

An old man with a long white beard heard their laughter as his eyes twinkled and he murmured, "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light. Indeed."

**~X~X~X~X~**

_Review!_


	14. Crookshanks

**AN:** Hmmm...I am really glad that most of you liked last chapter. For those who didn't, I cannot honestly say that I did not expect some of the negative reactions. I kind of like it, you know, shattering your hopes sometimes. :p

On a serious note though, when I was an avid fanfiction _reader, _I too kind of wanted Harry to just have fun with the heroine and forget the 'traitors'. But...I can't hate Ron as some people do. I am actually playing Lego HP these days and I again watched the first two movies yesterday. And I can surely say that Harry Potter wouldn't feel like Harry Potter without Ron in it. Still, I tried to make him as remorseful as I could.

As for the Fleur and Harry reunion, they do have feelings for each other but what do you want me to do? Have them rolling on bed in the next chapter? I did that in one of my stories and got such pathetic reviews...They have feelings for each other and they will act on them but let them take at least _some_ time people.

**RANT DONE: Enjoy.**

* * *

**Ch 14: Crookshanks  
**

"What happens to the boy now?"

"Not sure, Aragon. They haven't decided on the future of the tournament yet."

"Fools, the lot of them. There's a madman out there dabbling in the worst kind of magic and they want to play!"

"We cannot forget that they aren't as accepting to the situation as Albus is."

"I am with Elizabeth on this one Limbert. They are in denial and this could and _would_ cost them grandly in the near future."

"Albus would find a way. He always does."

"We all know that Albus is shrewd but Cornelius is a _fool,_ and Merlin knows a fool is _always_ more dangerous than a shrewd opponent. Just look at what that Bagnold woman did in the last war. If it weren't for Harry Potter, we all would have been doomed!"

"We are already doomed, Armando! You are a _painting_."

"We are not here to discuss semantics Amrose."

"Be that as it may, I have faith in Albus."

"We all have faith in Albus but the hero of this war, I think, is surely Harry Potter."

"He is a child, Vulpus. You can't surely be saying that a child can defeat You-Know-Who."

"_Come_ _on! S_top using that irritating phrase. For the last time, I _don't_ know who!""

"Why? It's a fancy title."

"I like The-Boy-Who-Lived better."

"What about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"I would like to know who actually used _that_ one for the first time and strangle that idiot with my bare hands."

"You can't do that."

"Albus can do it for me."

"Albus wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Oh, he will. He definitely will this time."

"Still, I think-"

"Idiots! Why don't you all just shut up for once? My ears are sore!"

"Mind your tongue, Phineas."

"Why should I? You all grate on my nerves. I am the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen and-."

"Self-proclaimed!"

"I was awarded-"

"-Witch Weekly was a rag then and it is a rag now!"

"At least I got awards. You were famous for your pigtails. And _leggings._"

"You dare…"

"Oh yes, I do."

As another quarrel began between Phineas Nigellus Black and Amrose Swott, the other occupants who lived in the Headmaster's Office groaned collectively.

These occupants were the ones to whom the aforementioned office once belonged to and to which they now belonged. Every Headmaster of Hogwarts is given the honor and responsibility to serve the school for as long as they can, even when their bodies are no more and their souls have departed the mortal plane.

"You are a mudblood, you filthy little girl. Be in your limits."

"What good did your pure blood did to you, you swine? Murdered by an innocent witch for harassing her."

"I did not-"

"You sure did-"

Despite the occasional fights, all the different headmasters of Hogwarts were wise and celebrated people of their age. Their portraits, thus containing their essence, were a gift to the future heads to gain knowledge and advice in matters ranging from as simple as a student's detention to as complex as the security of the castle. They also served as the eyes and ears for the Headmaster of the school. They were his spies, his intelligence network. All these past heads in this office headed the other portraits and reported virtually everything to the current head.

"Have you forgotten how _you_ died? Stabbed by your very own husband to death."

"It wasn't any of my fault that he had violent tendencies."

"Why, it was _all_ your fault. He found you repulsive. He found you abhorrent. You were not satisfying his-"

"Stop your vile insinuations Phineas. We are not children here."

"Oh sure, Brian. You would of course know. _You,_ after all, found _her_ screwing _your_ wife one day and were gallant enough to _join_ them in bed! Ha."

As the other portraits gasped and Elizabeth Burke moved to comfort a distraught Amrose, Brian Gagwilde took out his sword and roared, "YOU HAVE CROSSED YOUR LIMITS."

And he ran towards Phineas' Portrait.

Phineas, though a Slytherin, was not a coward. He took out his wand as well.

The duel started as colorful sparks began flying, swords met, and others watched. They ran from portrait to portrait, blasting painted pieces of furniture, fruit, utensils apart, cutting through trees and cloth and spewing painted blood on various frames.

It is to be said at this point that these portraits, though not human, had perfect sentience. They had their individual opinions, morals, codes and ethics that they wished the current headmaster would follow upon. This usually resulted in various cat-fights amongst the portraits themselves, such as now, accompanied by a long painful headache for the current chairperson.

An eternity was a long time. Thus, these duels were quite common and happened more frequently as Headmaster after Headmaster joined the ranks of Portraits.

No one could kill the other. So finally, they always returned to their own frames.

"Silence! Albus is coming."

"Let him," shouted Brian. "This isn't my fault this time."

"MOVE BACK TO YOUR FRAMES." thundered Everard, the first Headmaster of Hogwarts, who spoke rarely but when he did, others followed.

Needless to say, all was in order when the door opened to reveal a smiling Albus Dumbledore on the other side. He came in with a purposeful stride singing a jaunty old tune and sat on his throne-like chair, resting his head on the cushioned back with a sigh of pleasure and relief.

"You seem happy, Albus." commented the headmaster from the nearest portrait, plucking out a yellow leaf from his hair and flicking it away carelessly.

"Oh yes, Quinten. I am. Harry and his friends are back together."

"Ah ha…come to their senses now, have they?"

"Don't be too harsh on them now. They are children. They make mistakes." Albus said.

"I am not harsh. I just don't think one should forgive traitors so easily!"

"There is a difference between being a traitor and making an error in ignorance or doubt or envy." preached Limbert. "You can't say that there were no reasons to _not_ trust the Potter boy that night."

"They should have trusted him."

"Blind trust can be fatal, you fool. As the boy should know after what happened to his parents." snapped Phineas, as the others turned to him with scowls on their faces.

A thick silence descended on the office as Albus closed his eyes and remembered that night fourteen years ago with pain and regret in his heart. He should have been able to save those two, no those _four_. Frank and Alice were as lost as James and Lily. And poor Neville…

"You should keep your Slytherin tendencies to yourself sometimes Phineas." said Dilys Derwent at last.

"Why? I am the only one from Slytherin here. Justice says that I should be granted at least twenty-five percent of the total discussion time."

"Someone kill that man…" Phyllida Spore muttered.

Albus began massaging his head.

"When is the boy due Albus?" Dippet asked.

"Any second now."

"What have you-"

A knock on the Headmaster's office alerted the various headmasters of the arrival of the boy they were all patiently waiting for.

"Quiet," whispered Albus Dumbledore and everyone stilled. "Come in, Harry."

Albus Dumbledore himself was someone to be said about. Considered to be the most brilliant headmaster by a majority (with the exception of Phineas Nigellus) to grace the halls of Hogwarts, Albus was distinguished. Not only was he an excellent teacher, in the most profound sense of the word, but also an accomplished politician. It had never happened before that the portraits had gained so much exposure to the outside world in this very office, except Albus's tenure.

Oh, and what a tenure it still is!

They had seen and heard things that were enough to rock the foundations on which the Wizarding world was built upon. And they all knew that it was about to get more interesting as the boy, who was already a legend, finally entered with three of his companions. The two girls, who were both newcomers here, looked around the office with a mixture of curiosity and interest on their faces. The Veela seemed more composed compared to the other girl who was almost bouncing on her toes as she eyed Albus' collection of books.

"Good Morning Headmaster." said Harry Potter, as he took his seat.

"Good Morning Harry. To you as well, Ms. Delacour, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger. I see we are all back together."

The red headed boy and the fuzzy haired girl reddened. "We're sor-"

"No need for all that now, Ms. Granger. Even the best of us can sometimes fall in the worst of ways. What matters is to gain back your feet in time." Albus said in his all-knowing grandfatherly voice.

Phineas Nigellus wondered what would happen if they all knew that their beloved headmaster actually _collected_ quotes to use in these situations. There was a book here somewhere lying around…

The girl nodded and ducked her head.

"I see you are in good health now, Harry." Albus said to Potter.

Harry just gave a short nod.

Albus looked at the boy over his half moon spectacles and urged him to say something. The silence continued for quite some time.

Harry Potter sighed. "Are you going to say something or what? Why are we having a staring match here?"

"I was merely waiting for you to begin the discussions in a way you are comfortable with."

"Comfortable?" asked Potter incredulously. "What part of 'Voldemort is Back' do you feel I am comfortable with?"

The granger girl gasped. "What?"

"He is back, Hermione." Potter answered.

The room fell silent.

"So…" Weasley finally said, "You-Know-Who really kidnapped you last night?"

Granger turned to him, "You knew?"

"I had heard rumors about some 'dark lord' and made the connection. You can't really avoid Malfoy stuttering around even more than usual." said Weasley. "He was practically bouncing with glee after the task yesterday. He even summoned a meeting of the entire Slytherin house."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked.

"We were trying to find you after the task. So I borrowed your..." Weasley trailed off and looked around uneasily.

"Map." Potter nodded and looked at the Veela. "Fleur here saved me."

The French girl smiled and nodded towards Albus. "Dumbledore waz there az well 'arry."

"Yes. Yes. Playing with Voldemort…" the boy muttered, though everyone heard him quite clearly.

"'Arry-"

"What? He could have killed him, you know."

"I am here Harry," said Albus in a weary voice. "You can talk to me directly."

Harry turned to face the older man. "You could have killed him last night. Instead, it seemed you were exchanging tickling spells."

"I assure you Harry, that phoenix I created was a beautiful piece of spell work-"

Harry snorted.

"-and no mere tickling charm."

"You know what I mean! Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance? I know you were holding back for some reason. Yesterday, Voldemort might have been weak due to the ritual but next time, he will wreak havoc! What would we do then? Why didn't you just finish him off?"

"Tell me Harry, what was it that you did thirteen years ago?"

"That was different!"

"How?" asked Albus. "He would have returned sooner or later and you would have had to fight him. And I might have been dead by then. I am _old, _Harry. What if I die and you are left alone? I want to aid you in your fight against Voldemort however I can."

The expression on the face of Harry Potter was one of confusion and then of fright. It was clear that he had never considered that Albus could die someday. He had always taken his headmaster and the secure heaven he provided in Hogwarts as granted. But that might not be the case in the future.

"'ow does 'e actually return from the dead 'eadmaster?" The Veela asked. "'ow many times do we 'ave to kill him to make the change permanent?"

Harry Potter looked up. "Right. I didn't think of that before, Dumbledore. Normal people can't really live after their bodies are destroyed but Voldemort was – not a ghost exactly – but _something _in my first year."

"And that diary Harry." said Ron Weasley. "Remember, you said it was sucking Ginny's life force."

"And that hideous baby you were seeing all summer in your dreams Harry." said the Granger girl. "_That_ was surely physical. How did he gain that form if he was a spirit before?"

"What dreams, 'Arry?" asked Delacour.

Potter rubbed his scar. "I sometimes have visions from Voldemort. They have been more frequent this year."

Delacour's eyes widened in shock. "_Visionz_?" she repeated.

"Yes. An old man dying by his wand. A man serving Voldemort and promising to do some task for him…something related to me, I think. A snake sometimes. I don't know. Sometimes I remember them quite clearly, sometimes not."

"You never told me before."

"It never came up."

"_That_ iz not normal." She turned to Dumbledore. "What is zis link, 'eadmaster. I am not getting a good feeling out of this."

"Why do you think it's a link?" asked Albus.

"Izn't it obvious?" The blond replied. "You English say something...um...yes...Once iz an accident. Twice iz a coincidence. But after zat..."

"...it's a pattern." completed Granger.

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully and looked all of them in the eye, one by one.

"There are questions and answers and then more questions in those answers. I do not know what all I am prepared to tell you all at this point." He said at last.

"But Harry should know." said Granger. "If there really is a link...it can answer so many questions. We can even use it-"

"NO!" roared Dumbledore and Hermione flinched.

Everyone looked at Dumbledore's suddenly furious expression in shock and how he bored holes at Hermione. Hermione couldn't believe how the gentle headmaster could look so very dangerous in that one moment. This was why not even the Minister could dare to cross him. This was why nobody wished to be on his bad side. This was why Voldemort was said to be afraid of him. And now, she was afraid as well.

She felt Ron's gentle grip on her hand and tried to concentrate on it, away from the headmaster.

"Calm down 'eadmaster." said Fleur, levitating a glass of water towards the headmaster.

"Cut the dramatics Dumbledore. We get it. Now sit down." said Harry from his side.

Dumbledore sighed and settled back on his seat.

"I am sorry Ms. Granger. Forgive me for losing my temper."

Hermione opened and close her mouth but then she nodded her head. "Um..N-no problem sir."

Dumbledore smiled but remained quiet.

"I am not ready." he said finally. "This is not something you should know. Not now."

"But-" Delacour started.

"I said I am not ready."

Harry got angry.

He stood up with a force that sent his chair skidding backwards. He then proceeded to lock Dumbledore with a glare of such intensity that all the Gryffindor portraits actually smiled at the boy. Though he obviously didn't notice.

"Tell. Us. Everything." he practically _ordered_ Albus.

"Harry-"

"It doesn't matter if _you_ are ready or not. I want to know."

"Harry-"

"I swear Dumbledore, if you keep anything and I mean _anything_ from us, I will pack my clothes right this instant and head off to party with Sirius, never to see Hogwarts or Voldemort ever again in my life or death. No matter how many people he finishes off here, I will hide myself and my friends in such a remote corner of the planet that not one of your owls would be able to sense me, let alone find me!"

"You cannot hide Harry. We are wizards. Not from me, at least." said Dumbledore, with a smile.

"Try me." challenged Harry.

Dumbledore chuckled, completely at ease again. "I sometimes think that you are the perfect blend of your parents."

"I know." replied Harry. "I met them yesterday. Fleur told me it was something about the brother wands. Don't try to switch the subjects though."

Dumbledore sighed. "You are quick to anger these days."

"And I am quick to learn. I have learnt apparition and the Hogwarts gates are not too far."

Dumbledore remained silent as a statue.

"Sit down Harry." Hermione said and Fleur actually pulled him down.

Albus eyed the poor boy with remorse on his face. "You are not ready, my boy. I request you to give me some more time."

"Let's take a vacation Fleur. How did you say France looked this time of the year?" asked Harry.

"Harry-"

"Everything. Now."

"You should-"

Harry stood up.

"Okay then." said Dumbledore in a not-so-dumbledorish tone. "But you should know the proverb 'curiosity killed the cat'."

"Crookshanks is fine, Headmaster. Right Hermione?"

Dumbledore looked down as Fleur again pulled Harry in his seat.

After some time, he began, "I don't know everything-"

"You are lying."

"'Arry please."

"He's lying."

"I _don't_ know everything." said Dumbledore forcefully this time and Harry took the hint. "But as I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me Mr. Potter-"

"Are we _really_ playing at names now?"

"Harry…"

"Fine. Speak up."

"As I was saying, I know some things that should not leave this room. If I tell you and this information falls in the wrong hands, you cannot begin to imagine the damage that would take place." said Dumbledore severely.

"Cut the crap, Dumbledore. Speak-"

"'Arry Potter. You weel shut up and sit like a quiet boy or _you_ cannot begin to imagine what damage _I_ would do to you_._"

Harry obediently kept a finger on his mouth this time.

"Before I begin," continued Dumbledore with a tired smile, "Harry, I want you to be sure that you trust everyone here present in this room with your life."

Ron and Hermione looked at him and Harry met their guilty expressions with a smile full of reassurance. He then looked at Fleur and pointed at the finger he still kept on his lips.

Fleur nodded with a huff.

"Now that I have your permission to speak, Fleur darling," said Harry, ignoring the glare from Fleur. "I trust everyone present in this room with my life Headmaster, provided Snape is not lurking around in an invisibility cloak somewhere."

Hermione began saying something but Harry cut her off.

"That is _done, _Hermione. Forget it. I won't stop trusting Ron or you for one stupid mistake which I _know_ you won't repeat in future. Either I don't give my trust or I trust completely. There's no midway. Especially for you two."

Dumbledore smiled. "I must admire your decision Harry. It shows that you are not a child anymore."

"Whatever." Harry said.

"Very well." he said. "I think I should give you some well deserved answers now. But before I begin, I must tell you Harry, Knowledge is a terrible burden. Are you sure you want to-"

"Not again, Dumbledore." Harry groaned.

Dumbledore sighed for the third time. "As you wish."

"At last." a voice muttered from somewhere.

Harry and the company looked up. "I think I heard-"

Dumbledore shook his head. "It's nothing."

"But I-"

"Nothing Harry. Believe me."

Harry nodded with an unsure expression and Dumbledore smiled. "Do you remember Harry what you asked me at the end of your first year?"

"Ummm…" Harry scratched his chin. "About the stone?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Something I refused to answer at that time."

"Err…why Voldemort is after me?"

"Yes. I think its time you know the answer to that question."

"What about the link?" asked Harry, suddenly at edge for some reason.

"After that." said Dumbledore, with a frown.

"Well then. Why?" asked Harry.

"Before you were born, a true prophecy was made by a seer that I was interviewing for the post of Hogwarts Divination Professor. It foretold of the boy who would have the power to defeat the dark lord. You."

Hermione looked horrified, Ron had a strange look on his face and Fleur just grimaced.

Harry rubbed his temple. "So I will kill Voldemort?"

"You have the power and you will surely fight him but it doesn't specify who would actually win in the end."

"Great." Harry muttered.

"Hey. Of course, you would." said Ron with confidence. "That isn't the question. The real question is that it was Trelawney who gave this prophecy, right?"

Dumbledore nodded.

With a flick of his wand, his pensieve floated on the table from somewhere nearby and Sybill Trelawney's face appeared before all of them as she began reciting the prophecy. They all listened in stunned silence.

Nobody said anything for a while.

Then, Ron looked at Harry. Harry looked at Ron. And they both promptly burst into laughter. _Thud_, _Thud_, _Thud_ echoed around in the room as they slapped their palms on the Headmaster's table wildly.

While the others just watched them in confusion, their eyes filled with tears and they struggled to control themselves.

Fleur, annoyed, finally sent a single stinging hex at each boy.

"_Oye_. Merlin Harry. That bat is predicting your death from before you were even born." Ron said, wiping spittle from his mouth.

Harry too finally controlled himself and a scowl formed on his face. "Stupid old crony. Why not just poison her sherry?"

"Harry, shut up." Hermione intervened. "It's not like what she does in classes. Dumbledore is talking about a true prophecy. She probably doesn't even remember what she said all those years ago."

"Yeah, I understand Hermione. I am not an idiot. She predicted Pettigrew would escape in our third year and he did." Harry's eyes widened as he realized he had forgotten something important. "What happened to Pettigrew after I lost consciousness yesterday? I completely forgot about the bastard."

All color left Dumbledore's face as he said something in a quiet voice.

"Sorry? I didn't hear you Headmaster."

"He was kissed."

"WHAT?" Harry shouted at once. "Have you gone mad? I gave him to you in paper wrap and you gave him to a dementor. What about Sirius' freedom?"

Dumbledore sighed yet again. He was getting too old for this.

"My mistake, Harry. I should have informed you of the happenings since you were gone before I had dumped new information on you." Dumbledore said. "I assume Ms. Delacour told you about Barty Crouch Jr. and his role in your kidnapping."

Harry nodded.

"After we came back to the castle, I had to remove some of our Minister's memories related to Ms. Delacour attacking him. I fed him a half lie that you were kidnapped by Pettigrew and that Sirius Black is in fact innocent. He, at first, refused to believe but the evidence, namely the man himself, was irrefutable and thus, he had no choice. Peter was taken into custody on the spot."

"Why not tell him the whole truth?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded at Fleur. "'e waz not very enthusiastic to ze news 'Arry. That black swine –"

"-Snape-"

"Oui. 'e brought ze news of the rebirth before our rescue mission. I believe he is a death eater-"

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Blimey! Me neither."

"Shut up, Ron. He's a Professor."

"-and the 'eadmaster thinks he's on his side."

"I _know_ he's on our side, Ms. Delacour."

Fleur ignored him. "Anyway, zat Fudge _peon _refused to believe even after evidence being thrown in 'is face. And that pink toady-"

"Who?" Harry asked.

"One of his lackeys. Madam Umbridge." supplied Dumbledore.

"-waz talking about arresting Dumbledore and filing conspiracy charges."

"What?" Hermione shrieked.

"Oui. She waz generally wasting ze time and you were cursing yourself and thinking about dying. So I stunned them both."

Harry gaped at her. "Wait! How do you know my _thoughts_ at that exact point of time?"

"Before zat task yesterday, I placed a very rare spell upon you so I could guide you if you needed me too badly."

"Hey," Harry cried. "You really were in my head yesterday, weren't you?"

"Oui. Yes. I believe I told you quite clearly zat I am real."

"But but-"

"You were saying something about others being there az well."

"I was missing Ron and Hermione."

Ron opened his mouth. "You were missing us when you were supposed to die. So that we could accompany you?"

"Ronald…shut up. Thank you Harry." Hermione said with a bright smile.

"I was jooooooking." said Ron with a sigh. He then smiled at Harry. "Thanks Harry. I am sure that I too would miss you pretty bad if I were to die in the future."

"No problem," Harry replied and turned to Fleur. "So you really were there in my head?"

"'Ow many times do I have to tell you?"

"I mean, really? You were talking to me in my head?"

Fleur gritted her teeth. "Yez. That's eenglish. Understood?"

Harry grinned. "But you said you lo-"

Fleur petrified him.

Ron and Hermione exchanged horrified glances. Dumbledore seemed mildly amused and a little more thoughtful as he watched Fleur and Harry closely with one of his _twinkles_ in his eyes..

Fleur moved closer and looked Harry in the eye in a way that their noses almost touched. She spoke very slowly and clearly. "Eef you keep quiet, then I promise we will talk about it later. But if you open your mouth 'ere, then I will either obliviate you or keep you petrified for ze rest of ze meeting. Blink once if you understand and agree."

Harry blinked.

"_Finite_" said Fleur and Harry loosened up, literally.

Fleur gave him a look and he kept his mouth shut.

"Mate," Ron spoke in his ear. "I thought only Hermione could be that scary."

"You have no idea." Harry whispered back.

"_Hem_ _hem_" Dumbledore cleared his throat.

Harry looked up. "Yeah. Well, so the Minister won't listen and will probably put you in jail for defying him if we say Voldemort is back."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Then what happened to Wormtail? You said he was arrested."

"Yes. He was. But today I was summoned to the Ministry and informed that he has been the given the kiss."

Harry scowled. "Just like that? On whose orders?"

"No one knows. Cornelius says he didn't order it but now that there is no evidence, Sirius cannot be pardoned."

"Of course he can be pardoned if he gets a real trial."

"He too will get a kiss if he gets a trial Harry. There's enough evidence against him."

"There is _no_ evidence against him because Sirius is innocent."

"_We_ know that," said Dumbledore patiently. "Not them. Sirius was found laughing like a maniac with a wand on a street full of dead muggles and a finger of the dead Wizarding War Hero Peter Pettigrew."

"But-"

"Peter wasn't found in records."

"That's blatant corruption." Harry cried.

"That's the Ministry Of Magic." replied Dumbledore.

The table again felt silent for quite some time.

"You didn't answer our first question Headmaster," said Hermione. "How is Voldemort still alive? Harry isn't the only one to survive the killing curse after all."

For a moment, it seemed that Dumbledore was about to scowl at the girl but controlled himself at the last moment. "You are very astute Ms. Granger. I had thought I would save myself from answering that question for now."

Hermione blushed.

Dumbledore chuckled and then turned serious but before he could begin-

"Where is the sword of Gryffindor?" Harry asked, wondering aloud.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "How would I know Harry? You were the one wielding it and slaying deadly creatures yesterday."

"Yeah Harry, _how_ did you get it? It was _awesome._" said Ron. "We were like 'what the fu-' Ow. Sorry Hermione. Sorry."

"I don't know. I was a mess by that time. I think I just threatened Godric Gryffindor with all my will power."

"Really?" Fleur and Hermione asked skeptically and then looked at each other.

Harry smirked. "Yeah, well, I _am_ Harry Potter, you know."

Fleur sighed. "Where iz the sword 'Arry?"

"I like it so much when you say my name like that." Harry said with a dreamy smile.

"_Petrificus_-"

"I don't know." Harry cried, waving his hands in front of her.

"Maybe you should try summoning it again." advised Hermione.

Harry shrugged and did what she said.

Nothing happened.

"I think it will answer if you are in need of it Harry." said Dumbledore.

"I hope so," Harry said. "Now, where were we-"

"How did You-Know-Who-" began Ron this time.

"Yes. Yes. He did not die because he took some measures beforehand." Dumbledore finally told them.

"Measures to cheat death?" asked Hermione, horrified.

"Yes, I am afraid. That diary in your second year Harry, remember how it said it was a memory?"

Harry nodded.

"It wasn't. It was his soul."

Silence.

"Did you say _soul _'eadmaster?" Fleur asked with trepidation in her voice.

"I too was shocked, Ms. Delacour and I assure you it takes something too terrible to shock me after all these years."

"But Voldemort's spirit was already running around at the time. How can he be at two places at once?" Ron asked.

"It was his soul, his essence. Not his spirit. That was in Albania, at the time, I believe."

"I don't think we are getting this Dumbledore." said Harry. "Plain English, please."

"As you say, my dear boy. Voldemort split his soul Harry. Several times. He cannot be killed until all his soul pieces are destroyed. They are called Horcruxes. I don't know how many are there." said Dumbledore, marking each point with one of his fingers. "They are made essentially by murdering an innocent in cold blood. I haven't gone into the details. You destroyed one. And you _are_ one. "

Everyone stilled. It was as if someone had succeeded in smuggling a basilisk inside the small room. Every eye in the room rested on Dumbledore and only Dumbledore in that one moment.

"Bugger..." a small voice sounded from somewhere but was largely ignored.

Dumbledore popped a lemon drop in his mouth.

"_That, _my boy, is the link you wanted to know about." he said, making _chup chup_ noises from his tongue.

"Errr..."Ron was the first to speak. "Professor, I think we heard you wrong. Could you please repeat your last point."

"Harry is a Horcrux, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore repeated calmly. "That's the complete truth."

Fleur bumped her head on the table. Hermione started crying on Ron's shoulder. Ron just looked between Harry and Dumbledore and back again.

And Harry. Harry was lost.

He was carrying a part of Voldemort's _soul?_

He had no idea, none at all, on just how to react in this situation. Was he supposed to cry? Or laugh? Or kill someone just for the sake of it, mainly the white bearded old man sitting in front of him with a serene expression on his face.

"There. You wanted to know in plain English." commented Dumbledore. "And I have told you. I am not keeping _anything_ from you now because I can't afford you to run around the globe instead of fighting Voldemort. As you have of course, as you said, learnt apparition."

He wanted to cry, he decided. But it was too difficult for now; not because his tears were refusing to spill, for he was having hard time controlling his emotions; just because he wasn't ready.

Hence, he gave Dumbledore a bitter smile. "Thank you. So I am a hor-what?"

"Horcrux. Your scar."

"Right. So I need to die for Voldemort to die."

"I believe if Voldemort kills you with a killing curse, he would inevitably destroy his own horcrux and you would hopefully be able to come back in your body." explained Dumbledore.

Harry, for the first time ever, raised a _single_ eyebrow. It was a reflex. "So you want me to throw myself in front of his killing curse next time I meet him."

Dumbledore nodded.

"And then I will die and come back?"

"I believe so. You will die, surely, but coming back is still debatable."

"Just for knowledge's sake, you knew this from how long?"

Dumbledore began stroking his beard yet again. "I had an idea when I examined your scar for the first time but it became a surety when you brought me that diary in your second year."

"So, _when_ were you actually planning to tell me if I _hadn't_ blackmailed you?"

Dumbledore had the audacity to shrug innocently. "If everything had went according to plan, I might have dropped you a hint around the end of your seventh year."

Harry took a _very _deep breath. "Right. You do know that I really really _reaaally_ want to kill you right now?"

"I have a fair idea, my boy. I told you that Knowledge is a great burden beforehand. But alas, it was your wish-"

"Can you please just shut up for one small second?" Harry shouted. _"Please._ Shut up. SHUT UP. I am trying to cope here."

Harry decided Dumbledore was an overgrown Dobby. "That's the only way Harry. I am very sorry. Of course, if you wish, I can obliviate you all and tell you of this tragedy at a more opportune moment. When you are ready to sacrifice yourself."

"You have really gone senile. I think I should just leave this school."

Dumbledore took out his wand.

"Do you really 'ave a death wish, 'eadmaster?" asked Fleur scathingly.

"I was merely adjusting the position of my pensieve, Ms. Delacour. Have some faith in this old man."

Harry sighed.

He tried to summarise some facts. "So, what you are saying is that I have to kill Voldemort who is actually He-Who-Cannot-Be-Killed. I cannot kill him before killing myself. Now, if I am somehow able to survive another killing curse or as you say, _come back in my body_, I might have a minute chance at killing him. But before that, I actually have to find Merlin knows how many of his scattered soul pieces, which are waiting for me Merlin knows where. And for that matter, nobody actually believes that Voldemort is back. Except us few. Right? Right? Fuck you, Dumbledore. I AM OUT."

Dumbledore popped another lemon drop in his mouth and relaxed as one by one, all of them filed out of his office.

"You actually told him everything." Armando Dippet stated as his door banged one last time.

"I told him repeatedly not to pressurize me but he was insistent. Besides, I finally realize it's not my war. It's his. Let him fight it in his own way." Albus said quietly.

"In other words, I want to get retired." Phineas Nigellus commented.

"Perfect truth, my friend. Perfect truth." said Albus and laughed a throaty laugh for the first time in years as he felt all his burdens lifted from his shoulder. It wasn't an easy task and he knew he was being selfish but Harry had someone else in his life now who will keep him alive at all costs. " I will, of course, aid him when he needs me."

That was all he ever wanted.

He could finally sleep now. All would soon be well.

"And stop muttering obscenities when I have guests in my office Brian."

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_Review!_


	15. Steps of Life

**Thank you everyone for your support. The updates will be quite sporadic from now on, the reason being that I am about to begin a new phase of my life in a few days. So wish me luck.**

* * *

**Ch 15 - Steps of Life**

A man was panting.

"Aah, aah, aah…"

A woman urged him on.

"Once more, once more, one more time…"

"I can't do it any more Celine. Aah, aah…"

"One more time Siri, yes, yes, so close…so close."

"But-but Celine, oh Merlin, oh my fucking Merlin…no…"

"Siri, please Siri, you can't lose hope now. Push your hips down baby…yeah, yeah…one more time…"

"I will break Celine. I don't have any…any stamina left."

Sirius Black had thin beads of sweat running down from his forehead. He wondered how many buckets he had already filled. This wasn't going at all as he had thought. What had taken him to misjudge this woman and invite her home? Oh God, love was a disgusting piece of wreck, it made you do things you wouldn't ever put yourself upto if you were normal.

"Fuck it all Celine…I can't do this…I just can't."

A whip cracked on his back.

And he shrieked. "AAAAAAA…OH MERLIN…OH MERLIN…No more, no more…"

"You do as I say Sirius Black. Move your hips forward. Yes, yes, like that. Yes, yes, yes, one more time, keep it on…"

Sirius did as he was told. Once, twice, thrice and yet again.

"-One hundred and fifty. And there you go."

And finally, he had completed his push-ups.

~X~X~X~X~

It was noon when he woke up from his slumber. His body was wreaking havoc on him. All his limbs, his mid-section, his shoulders, everything felt as if someone had broken them to pieces and then taped them together. And his back…Merlin save him…that bitch had literally whipped him into submission. Sirius had never been through such humiliation even with the Marauders at his side.

He decided that muggles were plainly too crazy to interact with.

Sirius had newly-newly fallen in love these days. The woman was a piece of work so unique that he had no doubt whatsoever that she was carved and created for him and him only. As soon as he had laid his eyes on her, he knew that he was gone for good.

Getting a profile on her was a little difficult, especially when he was running like a dog most of the time, but he had gotten enough information to present himself and strike a friendship. It had been tough, what with she being who she was, and he being a wanted escaped murderer but he had finally been able to convince her of his innocence and quite the chivalrous attitude.

The problem was that she hadn't instantly fallen in love with him as he had certainly hoped, seeing his rugged looks. In Sirius' honest and modest opinion, he was better than Jean-Pierre Aumont, who was her favorite actor for some reason. She drooled all over him for God's sake. But no, she hadn't liked Sirius one bit in that regard. He was firmly kept under the 'Just Casual Acquaintances' category from the very first moment.

It had taken him quite a bit of planning, a little bit of luck, and her daughter's love for dogs (yes, she had a daughter), to gain entry in her house as _Snaffu_. Slowly but steadily, he had eased her way into their lives.

But she still didn't love him.

He had looked at himself and tried to determine the problem. Meeting her husband once (yes, she had a husband as well, unfortunately) cleared all doubts. He was a hunk, for a short of words. At least five inches taller than himself and built like a tank, he was nothing short of the polar opposite of Moony in his normal days. To be honest, Sirius was actually a little afraid of the man. He had that creepy vibe all over him that said 'DANGER'. Sirius had once thought about the morality of his actions on hitting on someone else's wife but after meeting that 'someone else', he had decided that she would certainly be better off without him.

He had then decided that he had to gain quite a bit of weight and build a solid figure. He needed at least a six-pack to woo his girl, to make her heart flutter and to make her scream in pleasure. His lean frame just wouldn't do for his sweetheart.

Thus, after having an evil laugh, he had ventured into Muggle France and hired himself a new personal trainer.

That was clearly a mistake. Now he knew.

The alarm bell rang again and Sirius contemplated throwing it outside the window for good this time. He just didn't want to get up, but he had an important appointment that day and he, unfortunately, couldn't miss it.

He dragged himself out of the bed and limped towards the bathroom. Taking more than a little paste in his brush, he began shaving himself. On second thought, _oops._

With his morning abulations done, he quickly got himself ready and moved towards the fireplace. He threw the floo powder inside and jumped, shouting 'Delacour Mansion'.

* * *

The Delacour estate was situated somewhere on the outskirts of the city of Paris. It consisted of a huge manor, something four times the size of Grimmauld Place, and an open area approximately triple of it. Unlike other magical households Sirius had seen, this was unique in the sense that there were no muggle barring wards here for some reason. Everything could be seen by everyone and hence, a little extra care was to be taken at all times.

He stepped outside the fireplace in the outer courtyard of the building. He was immediately received by a man he knew as 'Hans' who bowed and graciously welcomed him.

"Good afternoon, Monsieur Black."

"Good afternoon Hans. Is Adelard home?"

Hans nodded.

It was strange a little but Sirius knew that nobody, at least no servant, was allowed to call Adelard by his name. In fact, they seemed fearful to Sirius when he mentioned it. To an untrained eye, it wouldn't be visible but Sirius was from a fucked up country where an original piece of work called himself 'You-Know-Who', so he had quite an experience detecting such matters.

"Master is waiting for you in his office."

Sirius nodded and went inside through the foyer. There was another entrance to the office but he wanted to meet someone else as well. Hans moved to say something but he stopped and allowed Sirius to pass.

Sirius loved how the French designed their homes. He always marveled at the idea of those huge chandeliers and the sheer height of the ceiling. The paintings in the Delacour home didn't move but sometimes, Sirius felt that they had their eyes on him.

Sirius remembered something and smiled. He quickly transformed into his animagus form and trotted inside.

"Snaffu," a girl shrieked happily from somewhere and came running towards him. As usual, he licked her face in greeting and allowed her to ride on his huge form. She laughed, poked and ordered him around the house and he granted her every wish.

After three rounds of the huge hall, she was finally sated.

He sat down and she jumped from his back. He transformed back to his human form and grinned. "Gabby"

"Snaffu"

"Gabby"

"Snaffu"

"Gabby"

"Snaffu"

"Where is your mother?"

"There"

"Tata"

Sirius jumped, though his back was burning like hell, and moved towards the amused Appoline Delacour, who was apparently watching them for the whole time he was there.

To describe Apolline, Sirius could only say that Apolline was…Aphrodite. Plain and simple. Nothing more could be said about her. She was perfect in every way imaginable. Whenever he saw her, he had such a rush in his ears that he wanted to grab her then and there and take off with her to someone unknown island where no one could find them, least of all her husband.

He especially loved that mole on her cheek.

"What happened to your back?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, you noticed. You care for me too much darling. Or are you jealous?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "Someone just whipped me yesterday, you see. We were just playing a little with toys…"

"What were you playing Snaffu?" Gabrielle asked, jumping up and down beside her mother. "I want to play too."

Siruis laughed. "You are too young for that game Gabby. I bet your mother is good at it though. Ask her if she wants to play with me."

"In your dreams, Sirius. In your dreams."

"Oh Appo," Sirius pretended to be hurt. "Can't you just play with me a little? Aren't we friends? What is your problem to be precise? Tell me. Is it your clothes? Ask me once my darling and I'll be gallant enough to remove them from your stupendous figure and then, you can sate my desire and we can give gabby more brothers and sisters to play…"

Sirus got a slap. Nothing new.

"Adelard, someone is here for you." Apolline called to her husband.

Sirius just sighed and moved to the office.

* * *

He entered without knocking.

"Adelard, my friend…how are you this fine day?"

"I asked you to knock last time you came inside."

"So?"

"Do you know what this does, Sirius?"

"Nope. Not an idea."

"It's a muggle weapon called a gun. With just one click, it can drill a hole through your head."

"You are joking, right?"

"I am not a joker Sirius, unlike you. Next time, you knock."

Sirius gulped.

"Got it."

"Have you now? Good. Go back. Knock. Come inside."

Sirius turned, sure to keep a smile on his face, and cursing the bastard in his mind. He went out. He knocked. He came inside.

"Adelard, my friend…how are you this fine day?"

Adelard looked at him and Sirius scowled internally. He was sure that the bastard wanted to say 'You did not ask for the permission to enter Sirius'. _Say it, you fucker. You'll see when I get Apolline away from you._

"Sit down Sirius." he said instead.

Sirius sat with a smile. "What have you got for me, Ade?"

Adelard didn't say anything but Sirius saw the instant change in his expression and sniggered inside. He quite liked pushing this man's buttons for some reason.

As mentioned earlier, Adelard was a hunk through and through. Sirius had no doubt that he could grab him by the collar with one hand, lift him, and throw him like a football, without putting even a little strain on himself. It was purely a coincident that he was Apolline's husband. Sirius had met him strictly in a professional sense for the first time but then, everything changed when he saw Gabby hopping somewhere around the house.

"I have received your gift. Here it is." said Adelard.

All thoughts of jokes went away from Sirius' mind at once. All cheerfulness left his face. His eyes widened and a look of great hunger came upon his face. No more was he the Sirius Black who goofed around all the time. He was the Sirius Black who was haunted by the dementors of Azkaban prison for twelve long years. He was an innocent who was once betrayed and who suffered more than he could ever achieve back.

Adelard too saw the change in Sirius' eyes instantly and leaned back with satisfaction.

Sirius removed the cloth covering the small cage and looked at the creature sleeping inside. The creature opened its eyes and looked at Sirius with plain terror in them. It started running around the locked cage with a frightening speed.

Sirius grinned.

If Adelard wasn't Adelard, he would have been haunted by that smile for years to come.

"Hello Wormtail."

~X~X~X~X~

(Meanwhile At Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry)

Harry looked down from the highest tower of Hogwarts – the Astronomy Tower - and contemplated the fickle nature of life. It was so simple. A single step and there wouldn't be any more problems. Not even magic could save him from a fall this high. No need of a green light for Harry Potter to gain his freedom. Just one single step. Why wouldn't he just end this here and enjoy an eternity with his parents? He seriously doubted they would let him face any more of this circus in the clouds above. What was keeping him here?

A gentle wind was coursing through Hogwarts today. It gave him the calmness and a cool he had desperately craved in the headmaster's office. Even the most absurd and suicidal thoughts in his brain weren't affecting him much. The atmosphere was quite lively down below as the students laughed and talked nonsense. They had already forgotten about Krum. It was just a game for them.

As he watched the comings and goings of the students below, he wondered for the umpteenth time what was it like to be a normal person. How would life be if there was no Triwizard, no Voldemort, no Dumbledore, no Dursleys even – what would it feel like. Wouldn't it be even better if he was a muggle? At least, he would _live_ then. How would it be when he wouldn't have to check every nook and corner for enemies hiding and waiting in silence? When he could freely trust someone and make friends? Wouldn't it be…liberating?

He thought about Barty Crouch Jr impersonating Mad-Eye Moody. As a teacher, Harry was bound to trust him one way or the other, especially when he was one of the better ones. He could have done anything with him in these months, had it not been for Voldemort's orders to keep him alive. Harry smiled. Voldemort. What a fool he was. If what Dumbledore thought was true, in the end, he would kill himself. But the bastard would take him as well.

Where was he by the way? Ah, yes, duplicate Moody. He wondered how many else are there lying and waiting for the perfect opportunity to finish him? Polyjuice can't be too tough to make if Hermione could do it in second year. How many other professors are copies? Imagine Lucius Malfoy masquerading as McGonagall. Maybe Snape? Na…who would wish to drink his hair. That too every hour…

Then Harry thought of something else and chuckled. Voldemort really was an idiot. He should have planned to kidnap Albus Dumbledore instead. With Moody his friend, it wouldn't have been too difficult to backstab the old man and then, then he would have an unlimited supply of hair from his beard and bingo! Voldemort as the headmaster of Hogwarts.

At least he would be busy then, instead of concentrating on ending Harry's life.

Harry wondered if he could just change his name and go to Alaska? It would be a much better idea than taking this one single step.

One single step…

Someone cleared her throat. Fleur.

Harry turned and looked at her. She was looking at him from her position on the floor from at least the past couple of hours without uttering a single word of consolation. Harry was aware that she wasn't lost in her own thoughts but was just giving him a little space.

She cared. It showed in her eyes.

"What exactly are you thinking?" she asked.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Everything. Nothing. You, Me, Dumbledore, Voldemort…"

He had sent Ron and Hermione back to their classes. Hermione was quite distraught after the meeting with the headmaster but he had assured her that he wasn't dying anytime soon. Ron was just looking at him as if he would drop dead any second. Harry didn't want to see him cry too…the first time in the corridor was enough. So he had sent them on their way, promising to meet them later in the common room.

"What about me?"

He looked at Fleur again and met her eyes. "Just that you aren't crying."

Fleur raised her perfect eyebrow. "Why would I cry?"

"Well, I _am_ dying and, girls tend to cry when someone is dying if Hermione's any indication."

"You have a very limited experience of girls 'Arry. Besides, you are not dying. You just have someone else's soul piece stuck in your head."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, and he's an angel. A white bald angel."

She scoffed. "It isn't equal to dying, whatever Dumbledore says."

"You see, Fleur, he _is _Dumbledore."

"Then listen to 'im when 'e says that you would come back."

"Well…he is _only_ Dumbledore. He doesn't know shit about afterlife."

Her lips thinned. "You can't 'ave it both ways."

"Why not?" he asked.

Fleur didn't answer. She just looked above in the sky as Harry looked on at her face. There was something there Harry wouldn't ever tire of. She was beautiful, everyone knew, but there was something else as well. Something that was ever captivating to him. It always called him towards her. And strangely enough, he felt it was _right_.

After a minute of silence, she then looked at him again and asked him something, "Do you trust me?"

Harry thought about it. If he was true to himself, she was the one he trusted most at this point. It wasn't Dumbledore for obvious reasons. Ron and Hermione…yes, he had forgiven them and not even a trace of bitterness was left now but he knew it wouldn't be the same. That night in the graveyard had changed him in some fundamental way. He had felt the true fear of dying that night. Before this, they were all together in everything he had done. But this time, it was Fleur who had fought beside him.

For lack of words, Ron and Hermione seemed like children now.

Harry nodded.

"Say it" said Fleur.

"I do trust you." said Harry, looking her in the eyes with utmost conviction.

"Forget it then," she said at last.

"How can I-"

"You trust me, non?"

Harry nodded again. "I trust you."

"Then just let me take care of you. I promise that you will not die. At least not before me."

Harry's head turned with a snap and he glared at her. "Don't say that."

"I am not just saying. I promise."

He looked in her eyes. He knew that it was pure unadulterated truth she had spoken in that moment. She was ready to die for him. She won't let any harm come to him, not even at the cost of her own life.

"Why?" he asked, tapping his foot in nervousness.

"Don't you know?" Fleur asked innocently, widening her eyes at him. "You are my foster baby."

Harry looked daggers at her and scowled, just as Fleur smiled. She was still joking. He didn't know whether to get angry at her or just leave it be, as she said.

"Come here," she said patting the spot beside her, just like she did on the ground near the lake every time they sat together. It was almost a ritual now.

Harry sighed and slowly walked towards her, abandoning the 'one single step' idea for now, and sat with his back to the wall. She took his hand in hers and squeezed.

They didn't speak for a while, just looked at the setting sun and the chirping owls from nearby. He wondered if this darkness would be his future, spreading in his life gradually.

Maybe he had closed his eyes a couple of minutes ago or maybe it was a couple of hours, he didn't know. But he heard her correctly the first time anyway.

"Now come here," she spoke in a low voice.

Harry opened his eyes and turned. His eyes widened as he looked askance at her. She was patting her lap this time.

Fleur met his gaze without flinching and spoke again softly, "Come here 'Arry."

Harry refused to think at this moment. Words simply could not express what he felt. In some ways, this was more of a shock than what he had received in the headmaster's office. Fleur had outdone Albus Dumbledore. He had offered him death and what she was offering was life in its purest form. She was offering him something which was precious. This wasn't a joke anymore. She was giving herself to him.

Some implications somehow made their way to his brain. He thought about shaking his head and running from there. He didn't deserve her in his life, not with what lurked ahead for him.

But for once, he wanted to do something for himself. He didn't have the guts to refuse.

So, slowly, he lowered himself and lay down in her lap, never taking his eyes away from her. She put one of her hands around his neck and caressed his cheek with the other. Her touch was soft, tender. All of a sudden, he felt at peace. At once, this wasn't the worst day of his life anymore.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Hmmm…"

He didn't feel the slightest bit of hesitance now as he raised his hand and touched her cheek with the back of his palm. He wanted to touch her, feel her and _learn_ her, all when he still had time. He touched her nose, her ears, her lips. She had closed her eyes, just like he had. It wasn't required to look at each other now.

Fleur did not resist him when he slowly pulled her towards himself and inch by inch, the distance between them reduced. His breath mingled with hers as he waited, her lips so close that he could feel their warmth. Her scent was as exquisite as ever but he couldn't help but think that it was somehow more absorbing today. There wasn't much room for thoughts now; his heart was pounding too hard for him to think clearly.

The moment came and their lips touched. None of them moved a muscle for a few seconds. His breath caught the same instant hers did. Her lips were as soft as cream and she tasted like apple. Sweet. That was the first thought he had; strangely enough. For a moment, he had a panic attack as he realized he had no clue whatsoever where to go from here but he steadied himself for he knew that this moment wouldn't come back.

He ran his fingers through her velvety hair and moved his lips slowly. He felt Fleur easing closer to him, melting into him. She touched his cheek gently with featherlight stokes of her thumb as their lips moved in tandem. He wondered when would the tongues come into play but decided that he liked this well enough for now. Anymore and he would splinch himself.

Her fingers slid down the back of his neck, tracing its shape, and every place they touched was electric. He utterly forgot each and every one of his damned problems and just lost himself in her.

The enormous pressure in his chest felt similar to the times when he was apparating, just a thousand times better. He could do this regularly if Fleur allowed him to.

Soon, Harry felt her pulling back but she was back in the next second kissing his cheek and his jaw and his other cheek. It felt too good.

Huh…

With sudden clarity, he realized that Fleur was the best thing to happen to him in his entire life. The whole world might have turned upside down at that moment and he wouldn't have noticed. He didn't want to end this, ever, and he didn't want Fleur to go.

He _wouldn't _let her go. Ever.

Fleur didn't seem to be in any kind of hurry to leave him and so, he learnt kissing and kissing _her _in particular at an agonizingly slow pace.

Some time later, she gave him one last peck on the lips and finally pulled back. He looked at her glowing form and smiled.

"You are awfully 'ard to satiate." Fleur said with a smile, wiping his lips with her thumb.

Harry raised an eyebrow, a skill he had learnt just that day. "Who said I am done?"

Fleur shook her head. "I am done and I am tired. I 'ave not worked this 'ard in…in…I cannot remember 'ow long."

"Don't tell me you wanna sleep together. I know I am sexy as hell, but…"

Fleur pinched him.

"Hey…"

"I am sexi_er_." she said with a pout.

Harry looked at her thoughtfully. "OK. I'll give you that one."

Fleur chuckled and Harry laughed with her.

He sighed and turned on his side to nestle closer to her.

"I never thought I would go through all this when I woke up today. I thought the adventure for this year was done."

"Its just starting, my amor. And I am for life."

"Really?"

Fleur shrugged. "If you want me."

"Of course I want you." Harry said, gently touching her cheek.

"Do not be too sure. I 'ave some secrets you aren't privy too."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

Fleur giggled. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Oui. You, I theenk."

Harry nodded.

"Fiancé?"

Fleur shook her head.

"You aren't secretly married, right?"

She pinched him again.

Harry thought for a bit. "No kids either?"

"'ARRYYYY…" Fleur shrieked, pushing at him.

Harry sniggered. "Sorry. Sorry. Alright, then. I don't care about any other secrets."

"Sure?" Fleur asked him one final time.

"Cent percent."

"Bien!"

"What?"

"Alright."

"Yeah, alright then." he said, nodding.

They lapsed in silence. Fleur kept running her fingers through his hair and he wished for a little oil.

Then he said, "I think you should say something Fleur."

"What?" she asked.

"Something that has to be said after kissing and all."

"What 'Arry?"

"Something important Fleur. Think."

"Give me a 'int 'Arry."

"It's three words long."

"French words or English words?"

Harry looked at her. "Bulgarian words."

"I can not know then."

Harry sighed. "English Words."

"OK. How does it start?"

Harry took a deep breath. "It starts with an 'I'."

Fleur thought for a bit. "I don't get it."

"Don't you ever see movies?" he asked her in desperation.

Fleur shook her head.

"I neither." Harry told her. "My Uncle and Aunt – the people I used to live with – never allowed me to watch. But I sneaked peaks sometimes and watched full movies whenever they were out. Romance was my favorite section."

"I don't like motion picture." she replied.

"Really? How can you not like movies? Either you are crazy or French movie houses must be bad." Harry told her.

"Take your pick."

"Anyway, you must have at least read novels."

Fleur nodded. "Yes. Crime thrillers mostly."

Harry made a face.

Fleur couldn't hold it anymore. She laughed out loud.

"You are taking the mickey out of me aren't you? You do know what I want you to say. You Frenchie." He said, poking her in the stomach.

"'Arry," Fleur giggled. "I theenk I 'ave an idea but you should still spell it out."

"Your idea would suffice I think, just say it."

"'Arry, I kissed you first, did I not? Now it's only fair that you say _it_ first."

"That isn't right. I had to actually remind you that people have to say that to each other. Otherwise you were just sitting like that."

"I waz waiting for you to say it."

"Fleur, listen to me please. Now that I am your amor, whatever that is, you should listen to what I say and do as I say. It's your duty as my girlfriend."

Fleur glared at him and grabbed his collar.

"So you are one of _those_ men?"

Harry nodded. "We know what's good for our females. And could you please lighten your hold, it's getting difficult to breath."

Fleur huffed.

"YOU," she said, pointing a finger first at him and then towards her, "listen to _me. _I am ze boss in zis relationship 'Arry Potter. I am telling you now itself. Do not act oversmart with me."

Harry looked cross. "Alright. If that is it, I am going to go back to my dorms. To my ever faithful friends."

And he got up from her lap.

Fleur pulled him back to her lap from the back of his robes though and took a hold on his neck.

"You cannot just leave like that." she said.

"Why not?"

"I am not done with you."

"What will you do?"

"First we are going to set up some rules."

"Forget it. I remember what it was like when I had to set up some rules with you last time."

"That waz for your own good 'Arry."

"And this?"

"Thiz iz for my good."

"Whatever. I am done."

"You are not. I will petrify you if you don't listen."

Harry clenched his teeth. "Fine. Shoot."

Fleur smiled. "First, you will be a good boyfriend and listen to what I say."

"In your dreams."

Fleur nodded. "In them az well. Second, if you don't do as I say, you will get punished."

"As if."

"Third, I love you."

"To hell…" Harry stopped. He looked at her suddenly and grinned. Fleur was grinning like a loon as well. He then finally said, "I love you too."

They just looked at each other for quite some time just as Harry had seen people doing in those movies. It was crazzzyyyyyyyyy.

"That wazn't too difficult, waz it?" she asked, after a while.

He shook his head. "No, it wasn't. I love you, Fleur."

"Me too."

Harry sighed happily. "I didn't know it was possible to feel this way after everything that happened in the morning. I like this feeling Fleur."

And he closed his eyes.

"'Arry?"

"Hmmm…"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

His eyes snapped open. "Only sleep?"

"Oui"

"You can conjure a bed here, right? And ward us?"

Fleur nodded.

In no time at all, they were tucked next to each other on a large enough bed.

"'Arry"

"Hmmm…"

"Don't you think we are going too fast?"

"No."

"Don't you want to court me first?"

"Why can't I court you after saying 'I love you'?"

Fleur shrugged. "It's just not traditional."

"To hell with tradition. I am Harry Potter."

"I think we should sleep."

"Yeah…"

"It's difficult to control this after…everything."

"Yeah…I would like to kiss you more."

"I don't 'ave a problem with kissing."

"Am I a good kisser, Fleur?"

"I feel so. I don't have anyone to compare."

"Really? I am the first one you kissed too."

Fleur nodded.

"It must have been too lonely if you got your first kiss at seventeen."

"A little."

"Am I handsome?"

"Oui. But I think you looked better with glasses."

"You were the one who removed them."

"For your protection, 'Arry."

"Yeah…fuck Voldemort…I'll do everything not to die Fleur, I promise. I want to live with you."

Fleur smiled. "Thank You."

"I like your smile."

"And?"

"Your eyes."

"And?"

"And your nose."

"And?"

"Your lips."

He kissed her then. He kissed her more. It was lazy and hence, all the more intimate.

"I like kissing you."

"Good night."

"Good night."

For a while, they both lay awake in each other's arms.

"'Arry"

"Hmmm…"

"I like cuddling with you."

"Me too."

"'Arry"

"Hmmm…"

"How would you like a vacation?"

He attacked her lips with vigor this time.


End file.
